Junior Boks captain Riley Norton expects a big battle upfront against Argentina in the opening round of the U20 Rugby Championship.

The clash at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Gqeberha will kick off at 4.10pm following the opening match between New Zealand and Australia at 2pm.

This is the second edition of the tournament, which was staged for the first time last year in Australia.

“We pride ourselves on our set piece, and we really back our scrums and our maul, which is something all South Africans take pride in,” said Norton on Wednesday.

“The pace we have in the backline is also very exciting,” he added. “If the ball can go out wide, we have some exceptional players like Gino Cupido, who is tall, very quick, and can round defenders.”

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Cupido is equally at home on the wing and in midfield and recently made his debut for the Springbok Sevens team.

“So, our strengths boil down to two things: our set piece and our pace out wide, thanks to the talent of our outside backs,” Norton said.

Junior Boks coach Kevin Foote echoed his captain’s sentiments.

“It always comes down to the scrum, lineout, and maul.

“We know they will be physical, and playing for their country is a significant opportunity for them since they don’t get to play many games. Heading into the World Rugby U20 Championship there will be a real hunger and desire from Argentina.

“They are very good when the ball gets loose, with exciting outside backs that are a real threat. We understand from our game management plan how we want to play; we aim to be direct and match their physicality and passion.”

U20 Rugby Championship fixtures:
Thursday, 1 May
New Zealand vs Australia (2pm)
Junior Boks vs Argentina (4.10pm)
Tuesday, 6 May
New Zealand vs Argentina (2pm)
Junior Boks vs Australia (4.10pm)
Sunday, 11 May
Argentina vs Australia (2pm)
Junior Boks vs New Zealand (4.10pm)

Photo: Richard Huggard/Gallo Images