The Junior Springboks face England in the Junior World Championship semifinal in Tbilisi on Monday evening (18h30 SA time), carrying nine consecutive wins into a fixture that could see them draw within one of New Zealand's record of 11 straight JWC victories, set between 2016 and 2018.
Captain Siphosethu Mnebelele said the pool stage had sharpened the squad's resolve heading into the last four, particularly the final pool match against Wales, which the Junior Boks treated as a de facto knockout game.
"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," said Mnebelele. "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."
The lesson taken from that Wales encounter is a straightforward one: England cannot be allowed to settle. "We need to start well from the opening whistle, execute our roles and not allow England to gain momentum," said Mnebelele. "If we concentrate on doing our jobs to the best of our abilities from the kickoff, we'll give ourselves the best chance of success."
Luan Giliomee returns at fullback after missing the Wales match. The Springbok Sevens international, who has featured at scrumhalf, flyhalf and fullback for the SA U20s this season, said his priority is fitting into whatever shape the coaches require. "Whether it's fullback or another position, I'm happy to contribute wherever I can and do what's best for the team."
The match will be broadcast live on SuperSport.