Junior Boks name team to face Fiji in World U20s opener

Three players will debut for the Junior Springboks in their World Rugby Under-20 Championship opener against Fiji at Cape Town Stadium on Saturday (kick-off is at 19:00).

There are starts for hooker Luca Bakkes and flyhalf Liam Koen, while outside back Likhona Finca will come off the bench in the side captained by prop Zachary Porthen.

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The rest of the side consists of players who recently played in the SANZAAR Under-20 Rugby Championship in Queensland, Australia.

The starting line-up has five changes and a positional switch from the run-on side that beat Argentina in the last Rugby Championship match at the Sunshine Coast Stadium in Queensland, while there are several tweaks among the reserves.

Apart from Bakkes' inclusion in the front row in place of Juan Smal, there is also a change at No 4 lock, with Thomas Dyer sitting out because of a niggle, and the versatile Bathobele Hlekani moves from the side of the scrum to form the lock partnership with JF van Heerden.

Your 1st #Juniorbok team to represent South Africa in the #worldrugbyu20championship against Fiji this weekend ????

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Thabang Mphafi, who played off the bench against the Argentina U20s, fills Hlekani's position at No 7 flank, with Siba Mahashe (No 6) and Tiaan Jacobs (No 8) the rest of the loose forwards.

Koen partners scrumhalf Asad Moos in a new-look half-back pairing.

The only other backline change sees Michail Damon in the fullback position, in place of Bruce Sherwood who donned the No 15 jersey in their previous match.

Junior Bok coach Bafana Nhleko said the team has worked