'Trokkie' has all the tools to drive Springboks at No 8

DID you know that the last South African to be chosen as the world’s best Under-20 player was Juarno Augustus?

- ASHFAK MOHAMED

Yes, the same big No 8 that starred for the Northampton Saints in last weekend’s epic Champions Cup semi-final triumph over Leinster in Dublin.

The former Junior Springbok stalwart was the player of the tournament at the Under-20 Championship in 2017, which took place in Georgia.

So good was Augustus that he won his award despite the Junior Boks going down 24-22 to England in the semi-final.

They at least won the third-place playoff 37-15 against a French side including current Test stars such as hooker Peato Mauvaka, utility forward Alexandre Roumat, flyhalf Romain Ntamack and utility back Mathieu Jalibert.

South Africa were captained by Ernst van Rhyn, and several players went on to play Test rugby, including Damian Willemse, Manie Libbok, Salmaan Moerat, Gerhard Steenekamp, Johan Grobbelaar, Embrose Papier and Curwin Bosch.

One would’ve thought that Augustus would be a Springbok by now, having turned 27 last December — but it just hasn't happened for the man who stands at 1.85m and 116kg, and is nicknamed “Trokkie’ (little truck).

Could 2025 be the year? Having not quite made the necessary impact at the Stormers and Western Province in his early senior years, Augustus went up north to join Northampton in 2021.