Mnebelele, Junior Boks know what’s coming in U-20 semi against Argentina

Siphosethu Mnebelele and Vusi Moyo have been dreaming of playing rugby for South Africa since their early high school days at King Edward VII School (KES) in Johannesburg.

Now the two schoolboy friends are forming an integral part of the Junior Springboks’ World Rugby U-20 Championship campaign in Italy.

Mnebelele, a former South African Schools captain, and Moyo have been stalwarts for the Junior Boks as they seek to advance to their first final since 2014.

Such a feat would provide their first U-20 world champs triumph since the Handré Pollard, Pieter-Steph du Toit and Steven Kitshoff inspired victory in 2012 at a packed Newlands in Cape Town.

The Junior Boks progressed to the semifinals on the back of three impressive victories in the group stage over Australia, defending champions England and Scotland.

On Monday evening they face fellow southern-hemisphere rivals Argentina at Stadio Luigi Zaffanella, Viadana (8.30pm Italy and SA time) for a spot in the 2025 final.

Hooker Mnebelele recalled how he and flyhalf Moyo dreamed of higher honours while enjoying their schoolboy rugby days.

“We spoke the other day about how we often said to each other how great it would be to, when we are older, achieve national honours for the country,” said Mnebelele, whose nickname is “Esethu”.

“Vusi and I have been playing together since our early high-school days for the Golden Lions and last year we both played for the SA Schools side, as well as the SA U-18 team. Now here we are, playing together for the Junior Boks, which is a dream come true. Playing for the Junior Boks is a huge honour and something we don’t take for granted.”

The soft-spoken Mnebelele and Moyo are part of the South Africa U-20 leadership group in Italy. Looking forward to the all-important semifinal against Argentina, the hard-working hooker said they know what to expect from the South Americans.

“They are good with their set piece, on attack and defence they are direct and play with a lot of passion. We have done our homework on them and had a good week of preparation, fixing what went wrong against them in the Rugby Championship.

“Coach [Kevin Foote] used to tell us how tough our group would be as soon as our camp started back home in Stellenbosch. Looking back over the past three weeks, I believe our tough group has prepared us well for the knockout stages.

“However, those games are behind us and we will have to work hard against Argentina, who are a quality side.”

Moyo is the tournament’s leading points-scorer with 34, while Junior Bok scrumhalf Haashim Pead leads the try-scoring list with five.

New Zealand and France play in the earlier semifinal at the same venue (6pm).

Junior Springbok team to face Argentina: 

• 15 Gilermo Mentoe 
• 14 Cheswill Jooste 
• 13 Demitre Erasmus 
• 12 Albie Bester 
• 11 Jaco Williams 
• 10 Vusi Moyo 
• 9 Haashim Pead 
• 8 Wandile Mlaba 
• 7 Bathobele Hlekani 
• 6 Xola Nyali 
• 5 JJ Theron 
• 4 Riley Norton (captain) 
• 3 Herman Lubbe 
• 2 Siphosethu Mnebelele 
• 1 Simphiwe Ngobese 

Replacements: 

• 16 Jaundré Schoeman 
• 17 Oliver Reid 
• 18 Jean Erasmus 
• 19 Jaco Grobbelaar 
• 20 Matt Romao 
• 21 Ceano Everson 
• 22 Dominic Malgas 
• 23 Stephanus Linde 

SA Rugby media