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"contents": "<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Junior Springboks begin their World Rugby Under-20 Championship campaign, hosted in the Western Cape for a second consecutive year, with confidence after finishing second in the first TRC (The Rugby Championship) Under-20. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the TRC Under-20, which was held in Australia in May, the Junior Boks drew with eventual champions New Zealand, lost against Australia and beat Argentina. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Junior Boks begin their World Rugby Under-20 Championship campaign with a fixture against Fiji at Cape Town Stadium on Saturday. </span>\r\n\r\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2247709\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/TL_2046436.jpg\" alt=\"junior boks currie\" width=\"1841\" height=\"1076\" /> <em>Junior Boks assistant coach Lumumba Currie. (Photo: Ashley Vlotman / Gallo Images)</em></p>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“We are better than where we were last year,” assistant coach Lumumba Currie told the media at the team hotel on Tuesday. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“This time last year we were still trying to find our feet and there wasn’t enough time for us to get together. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“But the three Test matches have made a difference. The majority of last year’s crop played their first Test match in the first game against Georgia.” </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">South Africa beat Georgia 33-23 in their opening match last year in their first competitive fixture as a team, whereas Georgia had come off playing a European competition. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“The intensity is different,” said Currie. </span>\r\n\r\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2247712\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/2152536419.jpg\" alt=\"junior boks\" width=\"1737\" height=\"1158\" /> <em>Juan Smal of South Africa in action during The Rugby Championship U-20 Round 3 match against Argentina at Sunshine Coast Stadium, Australia on 12 May 2024. (Photo: Albert Perez / Getty Images)</em></p>\r\n\r\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2247711\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/2152535972.jpg\" alt=\"Main option\" width=\"1803\" height=\"1116\" /> <em>Jurenzo Julius of South Africa scores a try during The Rugby Championship U-20 Round 3 match against Argentina at Sunshine Coast Stadium, Australia on 12 May 2024. (Photo: Albert Perez / Getty Images)</em></p>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“Coming from schoolboy rugby into under-19 and under-20 competitions, it’s not the same compared to under-20 internationals. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“The intensity and the margins for error are so small. The [World Rugby Under-20 Championship] has taught us that we need to minimise our errors because if you have a high error rate, you’re going to lose matches.”</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">South Africa finished third in the championship last year, after beating England 22-15 in the third-place play-off at Athlone Stadium. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, they suffered a 34-26 loss to Italy in the group stages before crumbling 31-12 to Ireland in the semifinals.</span>\r\n\r\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2247708\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/2152577462.jpg\" alt=\"junior boks\" width=\"1730\" height=\"1153\" /> <em>Zachary Porthen of South Africa is tackled during The Rugby Championship U-20 Round 3 match against Argentina at Sunshine Coast Stadium, Australia on 12 May 2024. (Photo: Albert Perez / Getty Images)</em></p>\r\n<h4><b>Set-piece work</b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> </span></h4>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Although they are better prepared this time, the Junior Springboks struggled at the scrums and lineouts in Australia, which they have focused on in the interim. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“Our work-ons are what we pride ourselves on as South Africans, which is the set piece,” said Currie. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“We want to get our set pieces right. It’s vitally important for us because you need that platform in any competition to attack from. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“We had challenges in that area and we need to be honest about it. We need to address it going forward, confront them, and we’ve done a couple of things that should assist us. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“We also need to take our opportunities when they arise. If you look at the New Zealand game, there were a couple of opportunities that we could’ve converted, but we just couldn’t and ended up with a 13-13 draw. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“Against the Wallabies, we were also our own worst enemies. We had some set-piece errors and couldn’t score from there. There’s not much that we can change, but we must improve what we are trying to do.” </span><b>DM</b>\r\n<h4><b>Junior Boks fixtures: </b></h4>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Saturday, 30 June: vs Fiji, 7pm, Cape Town Stadium.\r\n</span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Thursday, 4 July: vs Argentina, 7pm, Danie Craven Stadium.\r\n</span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tuesday, 9 July: vs England, 7pm, Athlone Stadium.</span>",
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"description": "<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Junior Springboks begin their World Rugby Under-20 Championship campaign, hosted in the Western Cape for a second consecutive year, with confidence after finishing second in the first TRC (The Rugby Championship) Under-20. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the TRC Under-20, which was held in Australia in May, the Junior Boks drew with eventual champions New Zealand, lost against Australia and beat Argentina. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Junior Boks begin their World Rugby Under-20 Championship campaign with a fixture against Fiji at Cape Town Stadium on Saturday. </span>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_2247709\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"1841\"]<img class=\"size-full wp-image-2247709\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/TL_2046436.jpg\" alt=\"junior boks currie\" width=\"1841\" height=\"1076\" /> <em>Junior Boks assistant coach Lumumba Currie. (Photo: Ashley Vlotman / Gallo Images)</em>[/caption]\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“We are better than where we were last year,” assistant coach Lumumba Currie told the media at the team hotel on Tuesday. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“This time last year we were still trying to find our feet and there wasn’t enough time for us to get together. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“But the three Test matches have made a difference. The majority of last year’s crop played their first Test match in the first game against Georgia.” </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">South Africa beat Georgia 33-23 in their opening match last year in their first competitive fixture as a team, whereas Georgia had come off playing a European competition. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“The intensity is different,” said Currie. </span>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_2247712\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"1737\"]<img class=\"size-full wp-image-2247712\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/2152536419.jpg\" alt=\"junior boks\" width=\"1737\" height=\"1158\" /> <em>Juan Smal of South Africa in action during The Rugby Championship U-20 Round 3 match against Argentina at Sunshine Coast Stadium, Australia on 12 May 2024. (Photo: Albert Perez / Getty Images)</em>[/caption]\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_2247711\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"1803\"]<img class=\"size-full wp-image-2247711\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/2152535972.jpg\" alt=\"Main option\" width=\"1803\" height=\"1116\" /> <em>Jurenzo Julius of South Africa scores a try during The Rugby Championship U-20 Round 3 match against Argentina at Sunshine Coast Stadium, Australia on 12 May 2024. (Photo: Albert Perez / Getty Images)</em>[/caption]\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“Coming from schoolboy rugby into under-19 and under-20 competitions, it’s not the same compared to under-20 internationals. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“The intensity and the margins for error are so small. The [World Rugby Under-20 Championship] has taught us that we need to minimise our errors because if you have a high error rate, you’re going to lose matches.”</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">South Africa finished third in the championship last year, after beating England 22-15 in the third-place play-off at Athlone Stadium. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, they suffered a 34-26 loss to Italy in the group stages before crumbling 31-12 to Ireland in the semifinals.</span>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_2247708\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"1730\"]<img class=\"size-full wp-image-2247708\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/2152577462.jpg\" alt=\"junior boks\" width=\"1730\" height=\"1153\" /> <em>Zachary Porthen of South Africa is tackled during The Rugby Championship U-20 Round 3 match against Argentina at Sunshine Coast Stadium, Australia on 12 May 2024. (Photo: Albert Perez / Getty Images)</em>[/caption]\r\n<h4><b>Set-piece work</b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> </span></h4>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Although they are better prepared this time, the Junior Springboks struggled at the scrums and lineouts in Australia, which they have focused on in the interim. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“Our work-ons are what we pride ourselves on as South Africans, which is the set piece,” said Currie. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“We want to get our set pieces right. It’s vitally important for us because you need that platform in any competition to attack from. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“We had challenges in that area and we need to be honest about it. We need to address it going forward, confront them, and we’ve done a couple of things that should assist us. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“We also need to take our opportunities when they arise. 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Junior Boks assistant coach Lumumba Currie. (Photo: Ashley Vlotman / Gallo Images)
Juan Smal of South Africa in action during The Rugby Championship U-20 Round 3 match against Argentina at Sunshine Coast Stadium, Australia on 12 May 2024. (Photo: Albert Perez / Getty Images)
Jurenzo Julius of South Africa scores a try during The Rugby Championship U-20 Round 3 match against Argentina at Sunshine Coast Stadium, Australia on 12 May 2024. (Photo: Albert Perez / Getty Images)
Zachary Porthen of South Africa is tackled during The Rugby Championship U-20 Round 3 match against Argentina at Sunshine Coast Stadium, Australia on 12 May 2024. (Photo: Albert Perez / Getty Images)