By Johnathan Paoli
The Junior Springboks will step into one of their steepest preparatory challenges of the year when they embark on a three-match tour of Georgia, where freezing winter conditions and a notoriously physical style of play are expected to push the young South Africans well beyond their comfort zone.
The SA U20 side departs for Tbilisi this week, where they will face local club side Lelo Saracens before contesting two internationals against Georgia U20.
The tour forms a key part of the Junior Boks’ build-up to the international season and is designed to sharpen cohesion, decision-making and adaptability under pressure.
Captain Riley Norton is one of four players in the squad who featured in last year’s title-winning campaign at the World Rugby U20 Championship in Italy.
He is joined by a strong contingent of players from last season’s unbeaten SA U18 side, underlining the selectors’ emphasis on continuity and long-term succession.
For SA U20 attack coach Melusi Mthethwa, the Georgia trip represents far more than a series of warm-up fixtures.
Instead, it is a critical test of the squad’s mental resilience and tactical flexibility in hostile conditions.
“This tour is about much more than results. It’s about how quickly these players can adapt to what’s in front of them. Georgia in winter is tough, it can be wet, icy and extremely physical, and that’s exactly the type of environment we need to expose this group to early in the season,” Mthethwa said.
The Junior Boks completed an intensive three-week preparation camp in Stellenbosch, which included high-tempo training matches against Varsity Cup sides FNB Maties and FNB Ikeys.
Mthethwa said the coaching staff deliberately adjusted their approach this year, prioritising match play alongside traditional training drills.
Having toured Georgia with the Junior Boks last year, Mthethwa is acutely aware of the specific challenges the hosts present.
Georgian teams are renowned for their forward-dominated, confrontational style, with heavy emphasis on set pieces and gain-line battles.
“One of the biggest lessons from last year was understanding when you have to go through a defence rather than trying to go around it. That kind of confrontation is something we welcome as South Africans. It forces our players to be accurate, disciplined and brave in contact,” he explained.
He added that uncontrollable factors such as weather conditions should be embraced rather than feared and that while the could not control the conditions, it can control its emotions and response.
“If it’s snowing or raining, we have to adjust our game management, when to run, when to kick, and how to control territory. That’s priceless preparation for the international season,” Mthethwa said.
Junior Boks head coach Kevin Foote echoed those sentiments, describing the squad selection as a careful balance between experience and future potential.
“It was incredibly difficult to narrow the group down. But we’re confident this squad gives us the depth we need while keeping an eye firmly on the pathway ahead,” Foote said.
The pack is anchored by experienced props Oliver Reid, Phiwayinkosi Kubheka, Kai Pratt, Sibabalwe Booi and Danie Kruger, with hookers Siphosethu Mnebelele, Liam van Wyk and Mahle Sithole providing depth at the heart of the scrum.
Captain Riley Norton is joined by Heinrich Theron, James Schnetler and JD Hattingh, forming a locking group with a balance of leadership and athleticism.
The loose forward unit features Kebotile Maake, Risima Khosa, Mumbere Vyambwera, Luke Canon, Gert Kemp and Reuben Kruger, a combination expected to be tested heavily against Georgia’s confrontational breakdown style.
At halfback, Bulls duo Matthew Fick and Hendre Schoeman will share scrumhalf duties, while Yaqeen Ahmed and Luan Giliomee provide playmaking options at flyhalf.
In midfield, Markus Muller, Ethan Adams, Christian Vorster and Samuel Badenhorst offer a mix of physicality and distribution, while the outside backs include Dylan Miller, Zekhethelo Siyaya, Khuthadzo Rasivhaga, Jordan Steenkamp and Lindsey Jansen, giving the Junior Boks pace, aerial ability and counter-attacking threat from deep.
The Junior Boks’ Georgian tour will be staged entirely in Tbilisi and consists of three matches over a ten-day period.
The South Africans will open their campaign on Wednesday, with a warm-up encounter against Lelo Saracens, a fixture designed to acclimatise the squad to the conditions and physical demands they are likely to face.
That match will be followed by two internationals against the Georgia U20 side, scheduled for Sunday, 22 February and Friday, 27 February respectively.
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