Handre Pollard kicked a 40-metre drop goal as South Africa beat New Zealand to win the 2012 U20 World Championship … here’s a look at where those Junior Springboks are now.

After finishing a disappointing fifth at the 2011 edition of the tournament, there was plenty more expected from the Junior Springboks’ Class of 2012, especially as they were playing the U20 Championships on home soil for the first time.

Coach Dawie Theron chose a talented group of players in his final squad – with future Springboks in Dillyn Leyds, Raymond Rhule, Jan Serfontein and Pieter-Steph du Toit (among others) while the 18-year-old Handre Pollard was a bit of a surprise selection, despite his burgeoning talent.

Unfortunately, the team experienced a rocky start to their campaign as they were dealt a 23-19 loss by a talented Ireland side, with flyhalf JJ Hanrahan slotting 13 points. A 53-3 win over Italy in the following match – where seven players scored tries – did plenty to raise the morale of the squad. That set up a massive finish in their pool as the Junior Boks needed a bonus-point win over England to ensure their progression to the cup semi-finals ahead of Ireland, who faced Italy on the same day.

In a tough encounter the two teams were deadlocked at the break, but the Junior Boks started to grind down the English defence in the second half as William Small-Smith crossed shortly after half time, before flank Shaun Adendorff dotted down. Pieter-Steph du Toit scored on the hour mark and Adendorff then sealed his brace to give the Boks the bonus point.

The Junior Boks carried this momentum through to their semi-final against Argentina, where a brace from Rhule added to tries by Serfontein and Mark Pretorius gave them a comfortable 35-3 win. Arch-rivals New Zealand beat Wales in 30-6 in their semi-final, despite suffering a 9-6 loss to the same opponents in the pool stage.

In a typically brutal final between the two sides, the New Zealanders took a 10-9 lead into the break thanks to a try from Milford Keresoma, with Handre Pollard kicking three penalties to keep the South Africans in the contest. The second half threatened to boil over at times and both teams were reduced by a man for the rest of the contest after lock Paul Willemse was spotted pulling Ofa Tu’ungafasi’s hair at a maul and the New Zealand prop responded by throwing a punch.

Scrumhalf Vian van der Watt gave the Junior Springboks the lead with a try, before Pollard continued his fine form with a 40m drop. A counter-attack then ended with Serfontein showing remarkable strength to power his way over for what turned out to be the winning try.

JUNIOR SPRINGBOKS (vs New Zealand):

15 Dillyn Leyds
Leyds would make his debut for Western Province in the Vodacom Cup in 2013, but decided to move to Australia for a short stint with the Western Force the following year. Halfway through 2014, it was announced that he would return to Cape Town and he won the Currie Cup in his first season back with Province. In 2015, he made his Stormers debut and he has since sealed his place at either fullback or wing for the team. Internationally, Leyds made his Springbok debut under Allister Coetzee in 2017, earning nine Test caps that year, but he has only featured once under Rassie Erasmus. In 2020, Leyds moved to France to take up a contract with La Rochelle and helped the team finish as Top 14 and Champions Cup runners-up in his first season.

14 Raymond Rhule
One of the stars of the U20 campaign, Rhule continued his excellent form into the 2012 Currie Cup for the Cheetahs. That earned him a place in Heyneke Meyer’s Springbok squad for the year-end tour in 2012 – though he would have to wait until 2017 to make his Test debut. After winning over 50 caps in six years in Bloemfontein, Rhule moved to the Stormers at the end of 2017. Unfortunately, Rhule never quite settled into his new side, while his Test career was affected by playing in a Springbok team that constantly changed defensive systems. He left South Africa after the 2018 Super Rugby season for Grenoble, before joining Leyds at La Rochelle in 2020, where he has been in sensational form.

13 Kobus van Wyk
Van Wyk was late inclusion in the Junior Springbok squad as he joined the team halfway through the tournament as injury cover for Pat Howard. In fact, his only appearance at the U20 Championship that year came in the final against New Zealand. He continued to show his maturity as he made his debut for the Stormers in 2014, despite only playing age-group rugby for Western Province. His reputation as a deadly finisher and strong carrier grew in Cape Town. However, after a short stint as injury cover at French side Bordeaux, he decided to move to the Sharks. After three years in Durban, the emergence of Sbu Nkosi and Aphelele Fassi – as well as the signings of Makazole Mapimpi and Madosh Tambwe – put his place in the starting lineup under threat. He moved to the Hurricanes in 2020 for a fresh start, before joining Leicester Tigers that same year.

12 Jan Serfontein
Serfontein emerged as a leader in 2012 and his fearless performances earned him Junior World Player of the Year. He carried his immense talent through in his first couple of seasons with the Vodacom Bulls, forming a promising midfield partnership with Jesse Kriel, which was replicated on the Test scene with the duo starting eight Tests together since 2016. However, a move to Montpellier in 2017 had him exiting the picture for Springbok selection, despite his continued good form for the club, helping them claim the 2020-21 European Challenge Cup.

11 Tshotsho Mbovane
Mbovane’s tale is far more sombre than the others’ on this list. It is one which brings to light the realities of being a young, professional sportsman in South Africa and why these players need far better guidance through their careers. A schoolboy superstar at Paul Roos, Mbovane was climbing the rugby ladder and building a successful career – playing U13 Craven Week, U16 Grant Khomo, U18 Craven Week, SA Schools and then eventually joining Paul Treu’s Blitzboks set-up out of high school. His star kept rising after the U20 Championships and he was the subject of interest from Western Province, who were soon involved in a tug-of-war for Mbovane’s signature. Unfortunately, his career took a downward turn from there as he battled injury and off-field issues. After a number of years in the rugby wilderness, Mbovane was back in Langa coaching part time. He was later given an opportunity to find new employment and rediscover his love for rugby by the Naka Bulls Rugby Club in Pretoria.

10 Handre Pollard
A player who has undoubtedly fulfilled his potential, Pollard would go on to become the Springboks’ first-choice flyhalf and help the team claim the Webb Ellis Cup in 2019. However, the road to glory for Pollard was not without its potholes. After playing in his first World Cup in 2015, Pollard picked up a long-term knee injury in 2016. During his time on the sidelines, the 2014 Junior World Player of the Year decided to get his shoulder looked at. However, shortly after undergoing an operation, Pollard received news that his shoulder was infected – so much so that doctors at a stage warned that he may have to undergo an amputation. Fortunately, it did not get that far and after a year out, Pollard returned to the field in 2017. He spent another two years with the Bulls before taking up a contract to join Montpellier after the 2019 World Cup and then moving to Leicester Tigers for the 2022-23 Premiership season.

9 Vian van der Watt
One of the try-scorers in the 2012 final, Van der Watt formed an effective halfback partnership with Pollard in the tournament, starting four out of five games together. After the U20 Championship, Van der Watt would continue playing youth rugby for the Lions, while studying towards a degree in finance and playing for UJ in the Varsity Cup. While the Lions lost their Super Rugby status in 2013, Van der Watt helped the union return to the competition as he started in the promotion/relegation win over the Kings. After playing a final season for UJ in 2014, he moved to the Leopards. Stints with the EP and Boland Cavaliers followed.  In 2018, he decided to retire from rugby and focus on his career in finance. He currently works as a financial advisor at Liberty Life Insurance.

21 Abrie Griesel
Griesel started the first pool game of the U20 Championship against Ireland and played off the bench in the playoffs against England and New Zealand. He continued to play junior provincial rugby for the Bulls, before moving back to Bloemfontein and getting his first taste of senior rugby with the Cheetahs in 2014. After playing for both the Free State and Griquas, he moved to Ireland in 2016 and made his senior debut for Munster against the Ospreys in November of that year. Griesel returned to South Africa with the Pumas in 2018  and was part of the team that won the Rugby Challenge. Currently, he has returned to farm in Bl0emfontein and start a farming clothes range called BuffelDoorn.

22 Tony Jantjies
The younger brother of Springbok and Lions flyhalf Elton Jantjies, Tony was schooled at Menlopark and signed for the Bulls after high school. Prior to the U20 Championship he played for the Bulls at U19 level. He started the Junior Boks’ tournament opener against Ireland, kicking four penalties and a conversion, but provided backup for Handre Pollard for the rest of the tournament. After the tournament, he continued to play for the Bulls U21 side in 2012 and 2013 and played Vodacom Cup in 2013. He was given an opportunity to get more game time when he joined the Kings in 2015, but that stint ended prematurely as his contract was terminated for a ‘breach in protocol’. Jantjies was handed a lifeline through returning to the Bulls in 2016 and played in the 2016 Currie Cup. His big break came with his first Super Rugby start in 2017. Unfortunately, Janjies never managed to fulfil his potential in Pretoria and moved to Spain in 2018. Currently, he plays for Alcobendas in the top club rugby competition in Spain.

24 Marais Schmidt
A rising star, Schmidt captained the Monument 1st XV and Lions U18 side at high school, while he also played for SA Schools. After high school, he joined the Lions and played for their U19 and U21 sides and was named as their U21 Back of the Year after scoring 156 points in 2013. Schmidt was part of the Junior Springbok squad in 2012 and played in the pool stage match against Italy. He missed out on making the bench for the final against New Zealand. After the Championship, he continued to play for the Lions and also played Varsity Cup for UJ, where he studied towards a BCom Law degree. He finished as the second-highest point-scorer in the 2014 Varsity Cup after scoring 43 points. After a handful of appearances for the Lions in the Vodacom Cup, Schmidt had a short stint at Griquas and he finished his career with the Bulls. He currently works as an agent for In Touch Sports.

25 William Small-Smith
A product of the famed Grey College, Small-Smith played for the Free State at U16 and U18 levels, but joined the Bulls after high school. In 2011, he played for the Bulls U19s and for their Vodacom Cup side, before linking up with the Blitzboks at the end of the year. He starred for the Junior Springboks at the U20 Championships but was unfortunately ruled out of the final after suffering a knee injury in the semi-finals. His place in the squad was taken by Dean Hammond. After recovering, he played for UP-Tuks in the 2013, but picked up another injury which ruled him out of the final against Maties. A few appearances in Super Rugby came in 2014, but Small-Smith was allowed to return to Bloemfontein with the Cheetahs in 2016. He has since been an invaluable member of their squad, winning two Currie Cups and helping them qualify for the PRO14 playoffs. Unfortunately, he was forced to retire in October 2020 due to the effects of a serious head injury.

26 Pat Howard
Schooled at Michaelhouse in KwaZulu-Natal, Howard moved to the Western Cape after finishing his schooling. Howard was excellent for the Junior Springboks until a hamstring injury suffered in the win over England ruled him out for the rest of the tournament. His place was taken by Kobus van Wyk. After the tournament, Howard returned to Western Province and made his Currie Cup debut against the Cheetahs. He continued to play in the Currie Cup and Vodacom Cup in 2013 and 2014 and then was signed by Munster on a short-term loan as injury cover in December 2014. Howard made his long-awaited Super Rugby debut for the Stormers in 2015 but left them for the Northampton Saints at the end of the season. He spent a year in the Premiership before enjoying his most profitable senior spell with the Dragons. Howard currently plays for the Ealing Trailfinders in the English Championship.

30 Dean Hammond
Hammond, who was part of the U20 squad during their preparations for the U20 Championship missed out on a place in the final squad due a hamstring injury. However, he did come into the squad before the final against New Zealand as an injury replacement for William Small-Smith. While he trained with the team during the buildup to the final, he missed out on a place in the match-day 23 to play against New Zealand. After the Championship, the explosive wing – who had starred for Maties in 2011 and 2012 – linked up with Western Province. In September 2013, Hammond joined the Worcester Academy and made his senior debut for the Worcester Warriors that year against Wasps. He played 81 games for the Warriors, scoring 29 tries. In June 2020, Hammond departed Worcester to join Ealing Trailfinders.

31 Paul Jordaan
Jordaan was part of the Junior Springbok side that finished fifth at the 2011 U20 Championships in Italy and represented the team again in 2012, enjoying a memorable outing against England in the final pool game. 2012 was a good year for the Blitzbok as he made his Super Rugby debut for the Sharks and helped them into the final, winning two away playoffs along the way. He would also play for the Sharks in the Currie Cup final, where they lost to Western Province. Jordaan left the Sharks in 2015 for a fresh challenge with La Rochelle and helped the team into the semi-finals of the Top 14. He played his last game for the French side in 2019 and then negotiated a release from his contract to return to South Africa. He has since turned his attention away from rugby to help out at his family’s farm in the Eastern Cape.