Junior Bok hopefuls laid down an early marker for selection as the SA Under-20 academy side ran amok against the Ikeys in Stellenbosch.
The SA Under-20 Academy side – which is effectively a shadow Junior Bok group – tore into the Ikeys, running in a staggering 14 tries against the defending Varsity Cup champions as they shape up for the tour of Georgia and beyond.
While coaches on both sides stressed that the match served as a systems-and-structures exercise rather than a results-driven contest, the unofficial scoreboard painted a clear picture of Junior Bok dominance. With the Varsity Cup’s experimental NFL-style kicking laws in effect, Kevin Foote’s group cruised to a 90-25 victory.
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Junior Bok forwards coach Lumumba Currie said the focus is firmly on building a pack capable of competing with the world’s best.
“Think back to the two-day forwards camp we had last year. Even then we put most of the structures in place that allow our forwards to consistently put the backs into positions where they can strike,” Currie told Netwerk24.
“If you have a dominant pack that gets you over the advantage line, guys like Markus Muller, Ethan Adams and Christiaan Vorster – all still Under-19s, by the way – can really express themselves on the field. We’ve now seen what Yaqeen [Ahmed] can do behind a pack that’s on the front foot.”
Currie said the strides made by the forward group in just a week were encouraging, adding that cohesion and familiarity with the structures would only sharpen their edge.
“We always say we’re a team that focuses on the set pieces, but that can’t just be talk. What we do on the training field has to translate into matches,” he said.
“Our plan for the Under-20 Rugby Championship and the Under-20 World Championship is to have a pack that is much stronger than the one we had last year.”
Photo: @SAJuniorRugby/X
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