Two homegrown rugby talents, Lubabalo Dobela and Alulutho Tshakweni, will get their first taste of U20 World Championship rugby tonight after they were included in South Africa's 23-man squad for their opening match of the championship against Georgia at the Stade Aimé Giral in Perpignan, France.
Lubabalo, who plays primarily at flyhalf and Tshakweni who is a prop, were both named on the bench and should see some game time sometime in the second half.
Lubabalo's father, former Border Bulldogs coach and current Border head of coaching David Dobela, admitted it was a big moment for East London. “It is quite good for East London, it is showing that we have the talent here that can make it at the higher level and we know that if they get the chance to show what they can do they will make an impact,” claimed David.
Tshakweni matriculated from Hudson Park in 2016 and is currently playing for Eastern Province. Lubabalo attended Hudson until Grade 9, before moving to Grey High in PE where he matriculated also in 2016.
He played for the Free State U19 team last year, before a breakout season with the Shimlas team in this year’s Varsity Cup.
Lubabalo then played in most of the U20s warmup matches in the buildup to the world champs, cementing himself as an important member of the side.
“I am very proud of him, he has worked very hard to get where he is and deserves to be there,” said David.
“He was not in the initial squad for the U20s but when he played in the Varsity Cup the selectors started taking notice and I am sure they also saw him playing for the Free State U19 side that made the final of the U19 competition last year.
“I think they will both get a chance to start later in the tournament and give a full account of themselves.”
Another Eastern Province player, Sihle Njezula who matriculated with Lubabalo at Grey, will start the game on the left wing.
Stormers breakout Super Rugby star Damian Willemse will start tonight's match at flyhalf.
Lock and captain Salmaan Moerat, centre Wandisile Simelane, eighthman Muller Uys, fullback Gianni Lombard, hooker Daniel Jooste and replacement scrumhalf Rewan Kruger along with Willemse are the other players in the squad who played in last year’s Champs where SA finished third.
Moerat and Ruan Nortje will form the lock duo, while flankers Dian Schoonees and PJ Steenkamp pair up with Uys in the loose trio, and Rikus Pretorius and Simelane will do duty in the midfield.
Lombard starts at fullback, with Tyrone Green at right wing, while Jooste and props Sazi Sandi and Nathan McBeth will pack down in the frontrow.
On the bench, replacement Ruan Vermaak will make his Junior Springbok debut if he takes to the field after missing the team’s internationals in the lead-up to the tournament due to a knee injury.
“We were fortunate to be able to select a settled squad, which will be handy against a physical and passionate Georgian outfit,” said Roux.
“All the players are fit and eager to play, and we selected a team that we thought would be best suited to the game against Georgia.”
Looking ahead at the clash against Georgia, Roux said he is expecting a physical onslaught: “Georgia play with their hearts on their sleeves and they will take to the field with everything they have. They are a forward-driven team, with a good scrum and lineout maul, so they will probably try to lay the foundation there. But that said, our plans for the game are mapped out and hopefully we can counter that.”
The match kicks off at 6.30pm and will be broadcast live on SuperSport 1.
The team is: Gianni Lombard (Golden Lions); Tyrone Green (Lions), Wandisile Simelane (Lions), Rikus Pretorius (WP), Sihle Njezula (WP); Damian Willemse (WP), Zak Burger (Sharks); Muller Uys (WP), PJ Steenkamp (Lions), Dian Schoonees, (Lions), Ruan Nortje (Blue Bulls), Salmaan Moerat (capt, WP), Sazi Sandi (WP), Daniel Jooste (WP), Nathan McBeth (Lions).
Reserves: Schalk Erasmus (WP), Alulutho Tshakweni (EP), Asenathi Ntlabakanye, (Lions), Ben-Jason Dixon (WP,) Ruan Vermaak (Lions), Rewan Kruger (Free State) Lubabalo Dobela (Free State), Lyle Hendricks (WP)...