Eastern Province and Grey High School Under-20 Springbok No 8 Junior Pokomela will lead the SA U20 team in the World Rugby Under-20 Championship bronze playoff against Argentina at the AJ Bell Stadium in Manchester on Saturday in the absence of regular skipper Jeremy Ward – another product of Port Elizabeth, Eastern Province and Grey High School, as coach Dawie Theron made six changes to his team.
Ward is serving a two-week suspension for a dangerous tackle, which prompted Theron to hand the captaincy to Pokomela. Centre JT Jackson, who is playing in his second successive World Rugby U20 Championship, has been named the vice-captain, as the team’s second vice-captain Ernst van Rhyn was not named in the match-day squad.
Saturday’s match will bring down the curtain on Theron’s six-year reign as Junior Springbok coach. He will join the Docomo Red Hurricanes in Japan next month.
The changes to the team will see the front row of hooker Jan-Henning Campher and props Franco van den Berg and Carlü Sadie start in place of Tango Balekile, Nicolaas Oosthuizen and Jaco Holtzhausen respectively, while flanker Cobus Wiese takes over from Van Rhyn in the loose trio.
In the backline, Franco Naude comes in at outside centre, while Stedman Gans will make his first appearance in the competition on the right wing in place of Mosolwa Mafuma.
Leopards flyhalf Benhard Janse van Rensburg, who joined the team on Thursday as injury cover, has been named on the bench alongside Balekile, Oosthuizen, prop Kwenzo Blose, lock Eduard Zandberg, No 8 Denzel Hill, scrumhalf James Hall and fullback Keanu Vers.
“The last few days have been tough for the players, with S’busiso Nkosi and Embrose Papier returning home and Jeremey Ward being suspended for a dangerous tackle,” said Theron. “We also have a few niggling injuries, which we had to consult the medical team about, and on that basis we made a few changes. This is the freshest team available to take on Argentina.”
Theron expected a tough contest against the South Americans, who defeated the Junior Boks 19-13 in their second pool match in the international showpiece, but he said the team was determined to finish the competition on a high note.
“Argentina will be very passionate,” said Theron. “They will be pleased with their performance in the competition up to now, especially since they advanced to the semi-final.
“We are expecting them to disruptive once again, especially in the set pieces. But we will be ready for them.”
Commenting on the fact that the clash marks his final match in charge of the Junior Springboks, Theron said: “It is the end of six wonderful years with the SA U20’s, and I would like us to end the tournament on a high note. I would like to see the team go out there and enjoy themselves, and put together a brilliant performance for South Africa.”
Junior Springbok team vs Argentina in the World Rugby U20 Championship bronze playoff:
| Nr | Name | Province |
| 15 | Curwin Bosch | Cell C Sharks |
| 14 | Stedman Gans | Vodacom Blue Bulls |
| 13 | Franco Naude | Vodacom Blue Bulls |
| 12 | JT Jackson | Vodacom Blue Bulls |
| 11 | Edwill van der Merwe | DHL Western Province |
| 10 | Manie Libbok | Vodacom Blue Bulls |
| 9 | Marco Jansen van Vuren | Xerox Golden Lions |
| 8 | Junior Pokomela | Eastern Province |
| 7 | Cobus Wiese | DHL Western Province |
| 6 | Zain Davids | DHL Western Province |
| 5 | Eli Snyman | Vodacom Blue Bulls |
| 4 | Ruben de Villiers | DHL Western Province |
| 3 | Carlü Sadie | DHL Western Province |
| 2 | Jan-Henning Campher | Vodacom Blue Bulls |
| 1 | Franco van den Berg | Vodacom Blue Bulls |
| Replacements | ||
| 16 | Tango Balekile | Eastern Province |
| 17 | Kwenzo Blose | Toyota Free State |
| 18 | Nicolaas Oosthuizen | Eastern Province |
| 19 | Eduard Zandberg | DHL Western Province |
| 20 | Denzel Hill | Vodacom Blue Bulls |
| 21 | James Hall | Eastern Province |
| 22 | Benhard Janse van Rensburg | Leopards |
| 23 | Keanu Vers | Eastern Province |
Alan Straton
Latest posts by Alan Straton (see all)
- South African Conquers Rats on the World Stage - 30 October 2026
- Old JPG on a Memory Stick? Vectorization Studio in Observatory Redraws Faded and Low-Resolution Logos by Hand - 30 October 2026
- ReAutomated Adds Robot Palletising and Case Packing Cells to Existing South African Packing Lines Without Stripping Out the Conveyors - 30 October 2026
- From a 5 KM Sprint to an Ultra: Punisher Sets Out Its Magaliesberg Obstacle Race Formats for First Timers, Teams and Fitness Clubs - 30 October 2026
- Rotary or Dual Action? Germiston’s Polisher Lists Its Machines, Buffs and Compounds for Car Paint and Metal Finishing - 30 October 2026
