Junior Boks patching holes made by Georgia

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The Junior Springboks are grafting hard to plaster the fracture lines revealed by a tough tour of Georgia as Johan Ackermann puts the finishing touches on South Africa’s preparation for the U20 Rugby Championship.

“We recently went to Georgia and saw things that we really had to work on,” Ackermann said of the learnings from an unbeaten two-match tour of the Caucasus country. “We are working hard these next couple of days, and did so even before the Easter break, to be prepared when the tournament kicks off.”

Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium will host the junior championship which is scheduled to run over three matchdays between 1-11 May.

“The players are really looking forward to this exciting challenge that lies ahead – we are playing against three of the best teams in the world in New Zealand, Argentina, and Australia.”

The Junior Boks kick off against Argentina on the opening day of the tournament followed by a match against Australia and then the All Blacks.

“We have a wonderful group of boys who are eager to learn and looking forward to testing their skills against the best in the Southern Hemisphere,” added Ackermann.

Rugby Championship U20 Fixtures:
Thursday, 1 May
2pm: New Zealand vs Australia
4.10pm: Junior Boks vs Argentina

Tuesday, 6 May
2pm: New Zealand vs Argentina
4.10pm: Junior Boks vs Australia

Sunday, 11 May
2pm: Argentina vs Australia
4.10pm: Junior Boks vs New Zealand

Photo: Grant Pitcher/Gallo Images

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