School of Rugby’s SA Schools’ side for 2019
The South African Schools selectors could pick a strong side for the international series against England, Wales, France and Argentina later this year. Like we’ve done annually in the past, School of Rugby decided to pick our SA Schools’ side as per the performances we witnessed throughout the year.
Like the SA Schools’ selectors would have to do we also took cognisance of the fact 50% of the squad of 28 will have to consist out of players of colour. It was however not too difficult this year to adhere to this guidelines as set-out in SA Rugby’s Strategic Transformation Plan.
The selectors will be watching all the players on their radar and even these not yet on their radar closely during next week’s 56th Craven Week at Grey College in Bloemfontein.
Only four players from last year’s SA Schools’ squad – eighth-man Keke Morabe (Welkom Gimnasium), scrumhalf Jurich Claassens (Garsfontein), hooker Jacques Goosen and flanker Jarrod Taylor (both Selborne College) will be available for selection again next week.
Claassens and Dylan “Bobby” Alexander (Paarl Gimnasium) have been the form scrum-halves on the schoolboy rugby scene this year.
Our loose trio of Morabe, Pierich Siebert (Paarl Gimnasium) and Taylor is one that will instil fear in any international u19-side. If you also mention that Grey College’s George Cronjé, Monument’s Izan Esterhuizen and Northwood’s Siyemukela Ndlovu could be waiting on the bench you will have your opponents shivering.
Oakdale Landbou’s Corné Rahl is not a polished diamond yet, but he shows a lot of promise. He will be at 2.03m and weighing in at 103kgs the tallest player in action during the prestigious Craven Week. He is also still in grade 11. Locking with him in our select XV is Dylan de Leeuw (1.99m; 101kg) of Paul Roos Gimnasium.
The fight for the flyhalf position will be tough with Juandré Liebenberg (Framesby) and Jordan Hendriks (Glenwood) getting the nod from our side. But these spots could easily also have gone to Kade Wolhuter (Paul Roos Gimnasium) and Kian Meadon (Paarl Boys’ High) who will be the first-choice pivots for Western Province and WP XV respectively.
Then there is also Grey College and Free State’s kingpin, FC du Plessis, who has shown his class throughout the season thus far. Even from the smaller unions players like Martin Venter (Pumas) and Kyle Potgieter (Valke) could have successful careers after school.
School of Rugby’s Select XV:
15 Munashe Chaitezwi (Golden Lions), 14 Curwin Gertse (Western Province), 13 Henco van Wyk (Golden Lions), 12 Mntungwa Mapantsela (Border), 11 Pachal Ekeji (Free State), 10 Juandré Liebenberg (Eastern Province), 9 Jurich Claassens (Blue Bulls), 8 Keke Morabe (Griffons), 7 Pierich Siebert (Western Province), 6 Jarrod Taylor (Border), 5 Corné Rahl (South Western Districs), 4 Dylan de Leeuw (Western Province), 3 Sibusiso Shongwe (Golden Lions), 2 Jacques Goosen (Border), 1 Jan-Hendrik Wessels (Free State).
Players who we predict could complete the SA Schools’ squad of 28 players: Chyle van Zyl (Pumas), Rhynardt Rijnsburger (Western Province), Blaine Golden (Sharks), Ockie Barnard (Sharks), Izan Esterhuizen (Golden Lions), Siyemukela Ndlovu (Sharks), George Cronjé (Free State), Dylan Alexander (Western Province), Jordan Hendrikse (Sharks), Tyler Bocks (Western Province), Zeilinga Strydom (Blue Bulls), Angelo Osch (Western Province), Ian Small-Smith (Free State).
Read our previous SA Schools’ teams here:
School of Rugby kies sy SA Skole-span vir 2018
SA Skole-span kan vanjaar so lyk