Baby Boks humiliate USA

Snapster there are some great runners in the baby boks backline. Cheslin Kolbe, Seabelo Senatla,  Justin Geduld,  Jesse Kriel, Luther Obi and is it Dries Swanepoel. Scummie also looked useful. 

Senatla is lighting fast as we saw in the sevens when the ab players were simply gassed by him. He is also a superbly balanced runner the likes of which one seldom sees.

Hower before we get too excited about Snatla and the others we have to estabish what their weights are as we have seen repeatedly the micro lights dont fly. Snapster have you any dope on these guys?

Also I have to say I regret Jan not playing. His great skills would have made this backline and added some strength that maybe will be needed when they face the big boys. The under 20s must have first choice on their players in my view. Playing under 20s in test is problematic in any event?

Could not beleive how poor Pollard was in his goal kicking.

I also note the big soft boys from the islands got drubbed by all. Poly, brycy and company what gives? The island boys are big but no warrior spirit? Also Fiji were very "undisciplined" against the baby abs. Didnt see the game but I guess tha means to much dirty paly.

Well I look forward to seeing how these backs shape against England. Jaque Du Plessis looked useful at 7. A future lock along the lines of Du Toit?

Ex Keo

The Baby Boks scored 97 points in humiliating the United States in the Junior World Championship in France.

The Boks have had tougher unopposed training runs against a second tier rugby nation that will continue to remain second tier if this is the best of the u20s in the United States.

The Boks won 97-0 and would have had 100 points but for a handling error in the last movement. The Boks crossed the tryline but captain Ruan Steenkamp lost the ball.

The kickers Handre Pollard and Robert du Preez also struggled and missed nine conversions between them. Pollard kicked one conversion from six and Du Preez goaled six from 10.

Sevens sensation Seabelo Senatla got four tries.

The Boks play England on Sunday. England beat hosts France 30-6.

Ireland beat Australia 19-15. Wales beat Samoa 42-3 and Argentina beat Scotland 44-13. New Zealand also had an easy win against Fiji 59-6.

Baby Boks – Tries: Andrew Beerwinkel, Cheslin Kolbe, Seabelo Senatla (4), Ruan Steenkamp, Justin Geduld (2), Jacques du Toit, Jesse Kriel (2), Michael Willemse (2), Luther Obi (2). Conversions: Handré Pollard, Robert du Preez (6). Penalty: Pollard

Beeno

Please refer to my comments under Ek's thread on the issue.   Never lose sight of the fct that the USA is by far the lowest rated team in the Under 20 WC - they had to qualify to play this year and barely made it last year in the qualifying games.

We cannot really afford playing the micro-lights against England and is likely to at least have to change two of them - my vote would go for Kriel at full back and Swanepoel at 13.   They will also have to play Van Rensburg at 12 - so it may easily happen that Pollard will end up on the bench.   That - if he can manage to practice goal kicking for 6 hours per day - every day until Sunday - when the youngsters will have to play England - a much more difficult team to contend with.

Mike I do realise tha tte USA are no good. However I am relating what I saw to the sevens tournaments.Snaltla , Kolbe and geduls dhave all been goodatsevens. Orbi looks  handful.

The facts are that there is some serious pace in that backline and very good runners there with  the ability to beat their opponents by jinking runs and searing pace.

The question that needs to be answered is how will they go against better oppotion.Can they match the physicality and how will their defence shape up. Hence the question re size. Hope snapster has some info.

Beenkop, Kolbe and Geduld are tiny. Geduld is 70kg, Kolbe 74kg. Senatla and Obi are 87kg. Kriel is 95kg and Swanepoel is 96kg

Saffex

Thanks for the info - I did not have the weights of Geduld and Kolbe and suspected that what you stated must be the case.   I still think they must play Swanepoel and Kriel against the English team and put the other two on the bench.   Hope sanity prevails in this case.

However, I suspect Venter will do the right thing in those cases - why is he not the Springbok's backline coach?   Suspect that he would not be acceptable to Meyer though - since his ideas on backline performance is too advanced for Meyer to appreciate.

I think that the choice of backline payers against the USA was the right mix. However, against England we ned greater physicality in the abckline and my backline would be as follows:-

15 Kriel

14 Present one

13 Swanepoel

12 Van Rensburg

11 Present one

10 Du Preez

9 Present one.

At least Du Preez's goal kicking was better than Pollard's was in the game against the USA. Why did Pollard's efforts remind me of Morne Steyn's junior days. My mind goes back to the final in Argentina of the then Under 21 Championship - I think it was in 2004 or 2005 - when Morne nearly destroyed our winning chances by missing every kick at goal.