Juarno Augustus congratulated by his teammates. Image: Northampton Saints.
Can Juarno Augustus finally achieve Springbok dream?
As the Springboks look to expand their depth at eighthman, England-based Juarno Augustus surely has to come into the reckoning.
Juarno Augustus congratulated by his teammates. Image: Northampton Saints.
Juarno Augustus is now 26 years old. He certainly still has youth on his side, but many neutrals would have thought that he would have been a capped Springbok by now.
Ever since scoring the most tries (7) at the World Rugby Under-20 Championship in 2017, earning him the Player of the Tournament title, he has been viewed as a future Springbok.
However, his form and fitness has been rather erratic over the last few years, and ultimately he has battled to take that next step up.
Could Juarno Augustus finally be on the path to Springbok honours?
The powerful loose forward has truly revived his career at the Northampton Saints, helping lead the club to the top of the English Premiership. Just this past weekend, Augustus started at No 8 as Northampton smashed an under-strength Gloucester 90-0 to guarantee a home semi-final.
At a time when Duane Vermeulen has retired, and the Springboks begin to think of long-term planning at No 8, Augustus will surely be starting to come onto the national radar.
Currently in top form, there is no doubt that Juarno Augustus could offer a dynamic, physical, ball-carrying addition to the Springboks’ rich back-row resources.
“If I can be the best player I can be, I think I can get a foot in the door,” said Augustus in a recent interview with Planet Rugby. “But I have had no chats with the (South Africa) coaches. It’s about letting my rugby do the talking for me.”
The world champions will soon be in action
As a reminder, the Springboks will start their 2024 season against Wales, and here is a look at the full 13 confirmed fixtures.
2024 FIXTURES:
Saturday, 22 June: SA vs Wales (Twickenham, London)
Saturday, 6 July: SA vs Ireland (Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria)
Saturday, 13 July: SA vs Ireland (Hollywoodbets Kings Park, Durban)
Saturday, 20 July: SA vs Portugal (Toyota Stadium, Bloemfontein)
Saturday, 10 August: Australia vs SA (Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane)
Saturday, 17 August: Australia vs SA (Optus Stadium, Perth)
Saturday, 31 August: SA vs New Zealand (Emirates Airline Park, Johannesburg)
Saturday, 7 September: SA v New Zealand (DHL Stadium, Cape Town)
Saturday, 21 September: Argentina v SA (Estadio Unico Madre de Ciudades, Santiago)
Saturday, 28 September: SA v Argentina (Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit)
Sunday, 10 November: Scotland vs SA (Murrayfield, Edinburgh)
Saturday, 16 November: England vs SA (Twickenham, London)
Saturday, 23 November: Wales vs SA (Principality Stadium, Cardiff)
Tags:
