Reminder: Junior Springboks’ semi-final kick off time on Monday

For all South African rugby fans, there is a Monday night treat to look forward to when the Junior Springboks kick off a battle against England, aiming to take another step towards defending their U20 world title.

Victory over England will be the Junior Boks’ 10th win in a row at the Junior World Championship, which is one short of New Zealand’s record of 11 victories on the trot between 2016 and 2018.

Monday’s semi-final kicks off at 18:30 SA time and will be broadcast live on SuperSport. beltedkingfisher.blog

Junior Springboks ready for kick off

SA Under-20 captain Siphosethu Mnebelele said the squad had embraced the build-up to the last-four clash, with the focus firmly on getting themselves ready for a strong English side that has already shown its quality in the tournament.

“We’re a very close group,” said Mnebelele from their team hotel in Tbilisi. “We’ve enjoyed the preparations and we’ve enjoyed spending time together throughout the tournament. The focus has been on preparing well for England.”

The Junior Boks booked their place in the semi-finals after coming through a pressure-filled final pool match against Wales, a game Mnebelele said had effectively carried the intensity of a knockout fixture.

“We knew that if we lost against Wales, our route to the playoffs would be in serious jeopardy, so we approached it like a knockout game,” he said.

“There were some nerves early on, but we are fortunate to have players who understand their roles and stay focused on their responsibilities. That allowed us to settle down and get back into the game.”

Big challenge lies in wait

After naming undoubtedly the strongest team available, Junior Springboks coach Kevin Foote said the team knew they would need to be at their best.

“England have shown their quality by winning all three of their pool games,” Foote added.

“They have a strong and successful history in this competition and will be highly motivated for this match. We have prepared well, and now it’s about executing our plan.

“These young men love representing this team and playing for South Africa. We are grateful to represent our country and are excited about the challenge that awaits us on Monday.”

JUNIOR SPRINGBOKS – 15 Luan Giliomee, 14 Cheswill Jooste, 13 Markus Muller, 12 Ethan Adams, 11 Khuthadzo Rasivhaga, 10 Yaqeen Ahmed, 9 Hendré Schoeman, 8 Gert Kemp, 7 Luke Cannon, 6 Kebotile Maake, 5 JD Hattingh, 4 Heinrich Theron, 3 Danie Kruger, 2 Siphosethu Mnebelele (c), 1 Oliver Reid.
Bench: 16 Liam van Wyk, 17 Rambo Kubheka, 18 Luan van der Berg, 19 Jaythen Orange, 20 Thomas Beling, 21 Risima Khosa, 22 Jayden Brits, 23 Alzeadon Felix.

En Afrique du Sud, les étrangers continuent de quitter en masse le territoire, volontairement ou non. Le comité interministériel chargé des migrations a annoncé dimanche 12 juillet 2026 que plus de 53 000 personnes ont été expulsées et rapatriées ces dernières semaines, principalement des ressortissants malawites. Les tensions, qui ont culminé lors des manifestations du 30 juin, sont un peu retombées, mais des groupes anti-migrants continuent, de façon plus sporadique, à manifester et à mener des opérations de porte à porte pour traquer les immigrés illégaux.

Rieko Ioane has been handed an unexpected All Blacks recall after injuries forced coach Dave Rennie to bolster his outside-back stocks.

The All Blacks face another tough assignment this weekend – this time Ireland in a Nations Championship showdown at Eden Park.

The experienced back has joined the squad in Auckland after left wing Leroy Carter picked up an injury in last weekend’s win over Italy in Wellington.

Carter was forced off during the match and looks doubtful for the clash against the Irish, while fellow wing Fehi Fineanganofo is also battling a shoulder injury.

Ioane’s return comes just weeks after his omission from Rennie’s first All Blacks squad of the year sparked widespread debate. The veteran, who spent part of the season on sabbatical with Irish giants Leinster, had been tipped to return later in the campaign.

“It’s just to give us a bit of outside-back cover,” Rennie explained.

MORE: Rennie warns ‘passive’ All Blacks to buck up

The All Blacks coach stopped short of confirming whether Ioane would feature against Ireland, with New Zealand set to name their match 23 on Thursday.

Rennie did, however, provide positive news on the injury front elsewhere.

Loose forward Luke Jacobson, who was replaced at half-time against Italy, and lock Patrick Tuipulotu, who withdrew before the France Test with calf tightness, are both expected to be available for selection.

“There’s a lot of competition for places,” Rennie said. “Based on performances over the last couple of weeks, we’ll make some calls around that.

“There will be some really unlucky people missing out because guys have fronted pretty well for us, but the competition is tight.

“It’s a healthy problem to have.”

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There was less encouraging news for former captain Scott Barrett, with Rennie confirming the lock will not recover from back surgery in time for next month’s tour to South Africa.

Barrett missed the entire Super Rugby Pacific season after undergoing surgery and has now officially been ruled out of the trip.

There was better news regarding young lock Fabian Holland, who is recovering well from a shoulder injury. Rennie said Holland is expected to return for Otago in the NPC before pushing for All Blacks selection for the South African tour.

“It will just be nice for him to get some game time for Otago and then hopefully be available,” Rennie said.

Photo: Hannah Peters/Getty Images

The post Rennie throws Rieko a lifeline appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.

Adel Aouchiche poursuit sa préparation estivale avec Schalke 04, qu’il a rejoint définitivement après son prêt concluant lors de la seconde moitié de la saison dernière. Non retenu pour la Coupe du monde 2026 avec l’Algérie, le milieu offensif s’est présenté dès la reprise des entraînements avec l’ambition de confirmer son excellente adaptation au club allemand. Samedi, l’ancien pensionnaire du Paris Saint-Germain a été l’artisan du succès de Schalke lors d’un match amical face à une formation allemande des divisions inférieures. Entré en cours de jeu, Aouchiche a inscrit l’unique but de la rencontre en transformant avec précision un coup franc direct. Après avoir contribué à la remontée du club en Bundesliga, le futur joueur de 24 ans espère désormais réussir son retour parmi l’élite allemande et relancer ses chances en sélection nationale.

L’article ALG : Aouchiche un retour attendu en septembre est apparu en premier sur Foot Afrique.