Nhleko: Junior Boks want to win

30/04/2024 13:58

Bafana Nhleko is confident the inaugural U20 Rugby Championship will help steer the Junior Springboks to break their world title drought, writes DYLAN JACK.

The U20 World Championship returns to South Africa in 2024, presenting the Junior Boks with a second opportunity to lift the title on home soil for the first time since 2012.

Last year, the Junior Boks were beaten by a talented Ireland side in the semi-finals, but rebounded to beat England and finish third.

Bronze is a colour that the SA U20s have had to become accustomed to, as 2023 marked the ninth time in the 13 tournaments since 2008 they have had to settle for third place.

To be fair to South Africa's class of 2023, they were the only southern hemisphere team to finish in the top four at the tournament.

Unlike the senior World Cup, the junior tournament has quickly become dominated by the northern hemisphere. England and title-holders France, on a run of three in a row, have accounted for six of the last eight tournament wins.

So how exactly does the south wrestle back control of a tournament they once dominated?

Well, Sanzaar has finally joined hands to launch the U20 Rugby Championship. The first edition will be held in Australia in April and it's something Junior Springboks coach Bafana Nhleko is very grateful for.

'It's exciting, isn't it?,' an enthusiastic Nhleko tells SA Rugby magazine. 'A lot of these guys would've watched the Rugby Championship on TV and seen New Zealand, Australia and Argentina. I think it's extremely exciting for them and as part of the preparation, to get three international matches is massive.'

It's something that has been much-needed, as the northern hemisphere nations have clearly benefited from their U20 version of the Six Nations, which has given a leg up on their rivals in terms of experience, cohesion and preparation.

'You look at the Six Nations teams, they play U16, U18 and U20 in between playing other games,' Nhleko explains. 'So by the time they get to U20, their players have 30 or 40 games of international experience at junior level.

'For us, those three matches against our southern rivals are massive, in terms of our growth, preparation and life skills for the boys. They get to experience being a pro player, a different country and a different lifestyle. The reality is that some players will go on to do that for another 10 or 15 years, but for some guys it might be the first and last time they do it. It's important that we don't underplay that life experience as well, off the field.

'From an U20 World Championship point of view, it's really good preparation. It's three more international matches than we've had in the last three years to prepare for a competition. So I am extremely excited.'

Nhleko points out a lightbulb moment during last year's opening fixture against Georgia, which his side won 33-23 at the Danie Craven Stadium in Stellenbosch.

'We had a post-match debrief with the players. There are two things that stood out for me, first, it was the first time they had ever been standing and singing the national anthem and it was in the World Championship, so that's quite a daunting thing. The second thing was the way in on the bus, with the crowds and everything else. Those were great experiences, but we were experiencing them for the first time in a pressure cooker.

'To go through that during a Rugby Championship instead, it just helps the players emotionally, mentally, so they know how to deal with that. Most importantly, they can just go out onto the field and express their talent.'

Taking a particular look back on last year's campaign, Nhleko admits that the Junior Boks staff struggled to get the team properly prepared.

A stacked calendar meant that the senior provincial teams were busy in the Currie Cup, which was moved to earlier in the year, and they weren't available for the usual warm-up fixtures.

There was also the factor of the lockdown generation, as most of the squad did not get to experience 1st XV rugby at high school.

'It was through no lack of effort from the group. We just weren't equipped and as a coaching group we could have and should have done better,' Nhleko says.

'Last year, while we knew most of those players, we didn't really know what standard or level they were at. So there was very generic coaching across the board.

'We couldn't really play against any senior teams to see where we were. You end up training and playing against yourself quite a lot. That doesn't prepare you for the rigours of international rugby. So it wasn't really on the boys themselves.'

Still, out of a tough campaign, some promising careers have already started to emerge. Centre Ethan Hooker (Sharks) and 19-year-old lock JF van Heerden (Bulls) have already made their senior debuts and could soon be followed by more of their U20 teammates.

This is something that clearly excites Nhleko, as he lists the number of World Cup winners that have come from previous Junior Springbok squads and how many players from his 2022 squad – the likes of Ruan Venter, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Cameron Hanekom – have recently exploded onto the scene.

'Winning is the now, but the bigger thing is how many URC and Springbok players can we produce,' he says.

The good news is that the Junior Boks are being proactive, already holding alignment camps in Cape Town and Pretoria to put plans in place for the coming season, getting the players up to speed with their conditioning in the process.

So can they finally break their drought in the World Championship?

'Absolutely,' Nhleko answers. 'I've always believed, every time we pick a group, we've got to have that thought process. The message we try to get across every time is they need to think beyond Junior Springboks. To go beyond, you have to be part of a winning team.

'The South African system and the way we are wired, we want to do well, we want to win. The senior side has led the way in winning back-to-back World Cups, the Stormers have done wonderful things in the URC, the Bulls are now starting to perform. So that winning desire never goes away. The biggest thing for us is how well we have prepared and how we've given the boys the confidence to go out and play.'

JUNIOR BOKS TO WATCH
Jurenzo Julius (Centre/wing)
One of a handful of potential returning Junior Springboks, Julius made a big impact in his first tournament. Playing on the wing, he scored two tries in five games, but also offered the Junior Boks a real outlet out wide with his strength and aerial ability.

The product of Paul Roos is determined to take centre stage and move back into midfield this year, where he played most of his schools rugby and sees as his best position.

JF van Heerden (lock)
Another returnee, Van Heerden played four games for the Junior Springboks in his first tournament, including their semi-final against Ireland.

The 19-year-old lock, schooled at Grey College, has continued to grow his game at the Bulls, to the point that he was called on to make his debut off the bench in the Champions Cup match against Lyon, following that up with another appearance against Bordeaux.

A street-smart lineout operator who is also tough as nails, it appears Van Heerden will be called upon again to lay the set-piece platform for the Junior Boks.

JC Mars (Fullback/wing)
Fullback was a stacked position in terms of schoolboy stars in 2023, but few stood out more than Jean-Claude Mars, whose performances for Paarl Boys' High and the SA U18 team went viral.

A scrumcapped pocket rocket with low socks, akin to Cheslin Kolbe, Mars is a balanced runner with a sensational sidestep and explosive pace that can make defences look static.

Mars is also incredibly safe under the high ball and should push to make his Junior Springbok debut this year.

Batho Hlekani (Loose-forward/lock)
One of the stars of the U18 Craven Week with his performances for one of the best Eastern Province teams in recent memory, Hlekani enjoyed a remarkable rise to the pinnacle of South African schools rugby, also earning his SA U18 colours in 2023.

Hlekani's journey saw him attend Emsengeni Primary, the same school as Siya Kolisi, and he earned his EP U16 colours while he was at township school Ndzonelelo High, before earning a scholarship to attend Graeme College.

A destructive ball-carrier with an eye for a gap, Sharks flank Hlekani has incredible potential if he continues to grasp the opportunities that come his way.

Photo: Twitter: @JuniorBoks

– This article first appeared in the March 2024 issue of SA Rugby magazine

The post Nhleko: Junior Boks want to win appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.