25 November 2019, by: Quintin van Jaarsveld

Junior Springbok Player of the Year Candidates

After collectively and individually making their mark in the World Rugby U20 Championship, Quintin van Jaarsveld identifies his candidates for the Junior Springbok Player of the Year award.

In retrospect, the 2019 Under-20 global showpiece was a case of what could’ve been for Chean Roux’s charge. They stormed into the semi-finals as the only unbeaten team, having eased past Scotland (43-19) and Georgia (48-20) and slayed New Zealand 25-17.

They seemed destined for glory, only for defending champions and eventual winners France to play spoilers, winning the semi-final showdown 20-7. While not what they would’ve wanted, the young stars in Green and Gold bagged bronze with an emphatic 41-16 win over the hosts.

Even though they didn’t capture the crown, the Junior Springboks made a big impression, particularly the following promising prospects:

An easy choice to captain the team, given that he’d skippered the Durban High first XV, the Sharks Under-17 Sevens side, the Sharks Under-18 Craven Week team and led the Sharks Under-19s to a triumphant and undefeated season in 2018, the blue-chip back-rower led by example.

A roaming loose forward boasting a bottomless workrate, he was a constant threat across the park. Smart, composed and mature beyond his years, he had his first taste of Super Rugby and Currie Cup action for the Sharks this year. The select few given the honour carry the title of former Junior Springbok captain with them for the rest of their careers.

It comes with a ton of expectations, which can either drive or derail their senior careers. As a humble and hard-working young man, Buthelezi has the right attitude and approach to the game to become a future great.

The multi-talented scrumhalf was South Africa’s star player in Rosario and is the favourite to pick up the award. Remarkably well-rounded at this early stage of his career, Hendrikse proved invaluable as a calm tactician, visionary and solid goal-kicker.

A product of SA Rugby’s Elite Player Development programme, he started in all but the bronze medal match, scoring two tries, slotting seven conversions and four penalties for a personal tally of 36 points. His polished performances didn’t go unnoticed as he was nominated as one of four players for the World Rugby U20 Championship Breakthrough Player of the Tournament award.

The former Glenwood High School ace excelled in the warm-up games as well, first during the UK tour and then in the triangular series against Argentina, Georgia and Namibia. The consistency he showed all season bolstered his stocks that much more and will serve him well at the Sharks.

In what was his second World Rugby U20 Championship, Pretorius served as joint vice-captain with Francke Horn and truly embraced the role. His seniority shone just as bright if not brighter than his hard-running did. The former Grey College standout was the Junior Springboks’ best strike runner, making an unrivalled eight clean breaks.

Most promising, though, was the progression the inside centre showed during the course of the tournament. Known for his Damian de Allende-like power surges, the 1.92m, 102kg Pretorius revealed exciting playmaking skills, most memorably, the outstanding chicken-wing offload that put fullback Vaughen Isaacs over for the opening try in the win over the Baby Blacks.

The midfielder went on to make his Currie Cup debut for Western Province against the Free State Cheetahs and has all the makings of becoming one of the core members of the next generation of Stormers.

The blonde-haired back-rower was heavily involved in all areas and was the Junior Springboks’ top tackler along with the captain and fellow loose forward Buthelezi with 52. Although he was excellent throughout the tournament, his best performance came against Georgia and perfectly highlighted his complete skill set.

He scored a double, set up another for Pretorius with a superb offload, was a nuisance at the breakdown and cut down ball-carriers at every turn. Coming through the ranks at Kearsney College, he can not only cover all three positions in the back-row but is adept at hooker as well, where he made his Super Rugby debut for the Sharks off the bench against the Lions this year.

That said, he was used at openside flank in Argentina where he thrived. At 1.84m and 106kg, Richardson – who also made his debut for the Durbanites in this year’s Currie Cup – is a stocky and skilful prospect whose versatility could either help or hinder his senior career.

A highly touted prospect since representing the South African Schools team in 2017, the second-rower put himself on the international map when he scored one of the tries of the year in the crucial clash against New Zealand. The 2m, 120kg lock intercepted a tap from a lineout and showed impressive pace and legs to gallop home from 50 metres out.

He was colossal throughout the competition, using his size and explosiveness to steamroll defenders and score three tries, a team-high along with wing Thaakir Abrahams. He also made a team-high five offloads. A sign of a good enforcer, the Glenwood High product played with channelled aggression and looked a man among boys at times.

Not just a behemoth, Van der Mescht’s athleticism made him a force to be reckoned with in the lineouts and he made some big hits. The sky is the limit for the leviathan, who’s primed for big things at the Sharks.

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