Junior Bok captain Mngomezulu: We must be physical and mentally ready for Ireland

The Junior Springboks made an excellent start to the Six Nations Summer Series in Italy when they beat England 30-22 last Friday.

South African flyhalf and captain Sacha Mngomezulu believes his side will have to up their game on Wednesday when they face Ireland.

Mngomezulu, who was part of the Stormers squad that won the United Rugby Championship, ran the show against England as his team scored five tries.

Now that they have a game under their belts, Mngomezulu believes his side is settling in well, although he feels they didn't play that well in their first match. "Now we all know what it's like playing at this level and how small the margins are," he said, calling for a strong mentality in their second game against Ireland.

"We didn't play too well, but we won by eight points, and we are happy to take that.

"We know what's required of us to do well against Ireland, and we are training as if we've lost (our first game). That hunger and desire (to eliminate mistakes) are very evident in our training."

Ireland lost their opening clash 42-21 to France, and Mngomezulu believes they will come out firing to secure their first win of the tournament.

"They must be disappointed with their result against France because they won all their games in the Six Nations, so they would want to rectify matters against us," said the Junior Bok captain.

"Therefore, we are putting in all the preparations to make sure we are physically and mentally ready to handle them."

It's been an incredible season for Mngomezulu, who said playing for the Stormers was a dream come true. "As a rugby player, these are the things you work towards and just setting new goals now is the main thing," said Mngomezulu.

"Whilst I'm with the Junior Boks, my focus is purely on