SA Junior Rygby_X
The junior Boks’ tour to Georgia got off to a freezing start with a training session against the Lelo Saracens club in Tbilisi on Wednesday afternoon.
In a statement, SA Rugby says the South Africans experienced sub-zero and snowy conditions since they arrived in the Georgian capital on Monday, but were taking it in their stride, going about their preparations undeterred.
Junior Bok coach, Kevin Foote, said they encountered freezing conditions before a good one-hour workout against the club’s senior men’s team, saying afterward that he could already see value in the tour.
“It was a nice hit out today and we are grateful for Lelo Saracens for hosting us in such a splendid way,” said Foote.
“It’s bitterly cold out here – probably minus two degrees when we left for the field – but that (the challenging weather conditions) is very good for our boys’ mentality because it’s something we cannot control, unlike our preparations and our performances.”
According to Foote the time together in a foreign environment is proving to be a good factor for the Junior Boks as they continue with their preparations for the rest of the season.
Following Wednesday’s training session against the club side, the Junior Boks will now turn their attention to the two outings against their Georgian U20 counterparts.
“I couldn’t be prouder of how the management staff and players are getting together, and we looking forward to our hit-out against the Georgian U20 side on Sunday, which we expect will be tough opposition.”
Rolling subs will be used in Sunday’s match against the Georgia U20s, which will allow Foote the opportunity to give all the members of the touring squad game time.
“I feel we are getting our combinations right, as well as our game model. We got some work to do on our fifteen versus fifteen scenarios, but I feel that we are making good progress.”
