Three matches are scheduled for Athlone: Ireland-Australia (2pm local time), France-Wales (4:30pm) and South Africa-England (7pm). Over in Stellenbosch, it’s Argentina-Fiji (2pm), Georgia-Italy (4:30pm) and New Zealand-Spain (7pm).
Three matches are scheduled for Stellenbosch: Ireland vs Georgia (kick-off 2pm local), France vs New Zealand (4:30pm) and South Africa vs Argentina (7pm). Over in Athlone, Wales vs Spain is the opening match (2pm) followed by England vs Fiji (4:30pm) and Australia vs Italy (7pm).
The age-grade South Africans got their World Rugby U20 Championship off to a winning start with a 57-7 victory over Fiji last Saturday at DHL Stadium, but they have now changed two of their backline, one of their pack and altered their bench which is now made up of six forwards and two backs.
The Junior Boks spluttered their way into the semi-finals at the 2023 World Rugby U20 Championship, inconsistencies that Ireland exploited to upset the hosts and progress to the final.
It will be round three in Athlone on July 9 when that fancied duo – last year’s beaten semi-finalists – go head-to-head in an intriguing group that also contains a dangerous Argentina and a little known Fiji.
The usual suspects once again dominate in the World School's XV which has been selected by school's rugby media publisher NextGenXV. England, New Zealand and South Africa all had ample representation.