Wynona Louw's weekend hits-and-misses column covers the Junior Boks' maiden U20 Rugby Championship title — secured via a 29-29 draw with New Zealand in Gqeberha — alongside the URC round that saw the Stormers drop top spot after drawing 38-38 with Ulster in Belfast. The big talking point from that game is Iain Henderson's deliberate croc roll on Deon Fourie, which Louw flags as a serious concern given Fourie's injury history and age. She's cautiously positive about referee Andrea Piardi's handling of the game — awarding a penalty try, issuing a 20-minute red card, and overturning his own call — as a model of how officiating can be decisive without killing match flow. On the Lions-Leinster game, the column revisits the TMO call that chalked off Francke Mahashe's breakaway try for an earlier offside at the ruck — a marginal decision that, with Leinster leading by only a score at the time, could plausibly have swung the result.
Junior Boks crowned, Fourie croc-rolled, and a Lions try that wasn't
The Junior Boks' U20 title, Henderson's croc roll on Fourie, a standout refereeing display in Belfast, and the TMO call that killed the Lions' best moment against Leinster — Louw's column covers the weekend's highs and lows with some pointed observations on officiating and the 20-minute red card rule.
Junior Boks to host Georgia, Fiji and Chile in Cape Town International Series ahead of World Championship defence
The Junior Springboks will host Georgia, Fiji, and Chile in a three-match-day U20 International Series at City Park in Cape Town from 21 to 31 May. Coach Kevin Foote will use the series to give his full wider squad game time and sharpen combinations before the Junior World Championship defence in Georgia at the end of June. South Africa and Georgia are in the same JWC pool, lending added significance to the 31 May fixture.
Junior Boks open U20 Rugby Championship campaign against Argentina in Gqeberha on Monday
The Junior Springboks open their U20 Rugby Championship campaign against Argentina at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on Monday (4.10pm), with coach Kevin Foote prioritising fitness and ball-in-play tempo after lessons learnt from last year's tournament on the same ground. New Zealand face Australia in the day's first match at 2pm, with all three rounds of the four-nation competition again hosted in Gqeberha.
Junior Boks take World Cup confidence from NZ dogfight
Foote and Norton reflect on what a grinding draw against New Zealand reveals about where the Junior Boks are — and what still needs fixing — ahead of their World Cup title defence in Georgia.
Junior Boks crowned, Fourie croc-rolled, and a Lions try that wasn't
The Junior Boks' U20 Rugby Championship title, Iain Henderson's croc roll on Deon Fourie, and the TMO call that killed the Lions' best moment against Leinster — Louw's column covers the weekend's sharpest talking points.
Junior Boks claim U20 Rugby Championship title after thrilling 29-29 draw with New Zealand
South Africa's Junior Springboks claimed the U20 Rugby Championship title after drawing 29-29 with New Zealand in Gqeberha, finishing the tournament unbeaten on 13 points. Coach Kevin Foote praised the side's resilience and growth while identifying breakdown efficiency as an area for improvement.