On 21 May the final EP trials for u/18 (and u/16) will be held at Pearson High School
| POS. | MERIT A | vs | MERIT B | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | STEFAN VAN DER POEL | Framesby | THEMBI MANGWANA | Kingswood | |
| 2 | VIAAN WOLMARANS | Framesby | SHANE KLUYTS | Kirkwood | |
| 3 | SAZI SANDI | St Andrews | ROELOF ROODT | Framesby | |
| 4 | RUBEN LE ROUX [K] | Framesby | RUAN BOTHA | DF Malherbe | |
| 5 | WILLIAM DUCKITT | Framesby | STEFAN MENTZ | Marlow | |
| 6 | DIHAN ODENDAAL | Aliwal North | WIHAN STRYDOM | Daniel Pienaar | |
| 7 | LOURENS OOSTHUIZEN | Marlow | ZANE BARNARD (B) | Brandwag | |
| 8 | KHWEZI MAFU | Grey | ARMAND PRETORIUS | Nico Malan | |
| 9 | LOUIS STRYDOM | Framesby | BENDRE JONCK | Nico Malan | |
| 10 | KEEGAN TAIT | Framesby | VAUGHEN ISAACS [K] | Marlow | |
| 11 | TIM BLOEM | St Andrews | LINDSAY POTGIETER | Framesby | |
| 12 | SICELO TOLE | Muir | MATT MOORE | St Andrews | |
| 13 | LUTHO NOMYI | Kingswood | AZI MNGCONGO | Graeme | |
| 14 | ATHI HALOM | Kingswood | CURTLEY DEYSEL | Daniel Pienaar | |
| 15 | RIAAN VAN RENSBURG | Framesby | DYLAN LE ROUX | Daniel Pienaar | |
| POS. | CD ACADEMY A | VS | CD ACADEMY B | ||
| 1 | FRANCO DREYER | Volkskool | JANDRE ELS | Burgersdorp | |
| 2 | DYLAN MINAAR | Humansdorp | BONGI SIYA | Union | |
| 3 | ETTIENE JANNEKE | Nico Malan | EWAN PETERS | Kingswood | |
| 4 | KEANEN MURRAY | Marlow | JAN FRANS LOTZ | Nico Malan | |
| 5 | ARMAND KEMP | Nico Malan | Z BROWN | Humansdorp | |
| 6 | HENTUS BOTHA | Volkskool | JJ HUMAN | Marlow | |
| 7 | OLLIE LOSABA | Kingswood | GREGAN GLOVER | Nico Malan | |
| 8 | ROSS STANLEY | Union | E DE NYSCHEN | Woodridge | |
| 9 | JC CONRADIE [K] | Volkskool | KEENAN STRIDE | Gill | |
| 10 | JAYRON DRAGHOENDER | Nico Malan | JOHAN LOMBARD (K) | Gill | |
| 11 | LANCE SMITH | Humansdorp | I SIMANA (PS) | Paul Sauer | |
| 12 | SIBA MZANYWA | Kingswood | JAC VAN DER WALT | Nico Malan | |
| 13 | RENIER MEYER | Burgersdorp | NELUS VAN WYK | Marlow | |
| 14 | ROMARIO McCARTHY | Nico Malan | ESONA MRWETYANA | Kingswood | |
| 15 | CHULUMANI CHUTU | Union | AIDON MASOLING | Cradock | |
| Pos. | CITY ACADEMY A | vs | CITY ACADEMY B | ||
| 1 | HENCO NEL | Kirkwood | RUAN JONKER | Grey | |
| 2 | OYAYAMA MGEDISI | Victoria Park | JOHN-JAMES MOOLMAN | Brandwag | |
| 3 | LE KLUE STOKES | Brandwag | CARL SENYANE | Framesby | |
| 4 | BRAAM BEYERS [K] | Brandwag | WJ KRUGER | Daniel Pienaar | |
| 5 | DONOVAN STEVENS | Brandwag | GERICK RAUTENBACH | Grey | |
| 6 | LEONARDA TSHINGANA | Cillie | CHIVAGO KEMP | Sanctor | |
| 7 | DESMICK KLEINBOOI | Framesby | TERTIUS GROENEWALD | Grey | |
| 8 | JP MARAIS | Andrew Rabie | ELANDRE SMIT | Brandwag | |
| 9 | RICHMONT GORAH | Brandwag | EATHAN JANTJIES | Newton | |
| 10 | MORNE LABUSCHAGNE | Daniel Pienaar | LUBABALO DOBELA [K] | Grey | |
| 11 | UAN TAIT | Grey | ROYSTEN POTGIETER | Otto du Plessis | |
| 12 | JULIAN KLEYN | Framesby | WAQAR SOLAAN | Grey | |
| 13 | AYA OLIPHANT | Grey | DYLAN GROOTBOOM | Cillie | |
| 14 | SIHLE NJEZULA | Grey | KHANYA MAFUNDA | Grey | |
| 15 | HENCO PIETERSE | Brandwag | RONALDO CONSTABLE | Otto du Plessis | |
| CITY ACADEMY RESERVES | CD ACADEMY RESERVES | ||||
| 1 | JD ALLISON | Grey | 1 | JANU FOURIE | Nico Malan |
| 2 | 2 | JOHAN MAARTENS | Burgersdorp | ||
| 3 | RIKUS VAN AS | Despatch | 3 | RECHARD ENGELBRECHT | Marlow |
| 4 | LANDILE MLONZI | Pearson | 4 | ||
| 5 | CONNOR THALROSE | Grey | 5 | ||
| 6 | 6 | REVALDO MARIMA | Middelande | ||
| 7 | ASAKONA MVANDABA | Ndzondolelo | 7 | LUWU PILISO | Gill |
| 8 | 8 | ||||
| 9 | SACHIN TORING | Kirkwood | 9 | NEVALDO FLEURS | Marlow |
| 10 | RODWILL BAADJIES | Pearson | 10 | J CRANCKSHAW | Union |
| 11 | 11 | ||||
| 12 | DUWAN NEL | Daniel Pienaar | 12 | ||
| 13 | AYA MATROOS | Grey | 13 | ||
| 14 | 14 | ||||
| 15 | 15 | JADE KOCK | Gill |
9 Grey boys made the Craven Week team.
Aya Matroos
Waqar Solaan
Aya Oliphant
Sihle Njezula
Khanyo Mafunda
Ruan Jonker
Tertius Groenewald
Lubabalo Dobela
Khwezi Mafu
@vetkop: Thanks for that further information. It clarified a few things for me
I do not represent Grey in any capacity and support schools like Grey and Framesby as a regular schoolboy rugby spectator. The majority of people I spoke to (Old Greys and current parents) support the decision on the trials. The Grey boys did attend earlier trials and will attend this weekend.
Unfortunately the trials happened during the week leading up to Reunion which is much more than just rugby and very taxing on the time of the boys.Each case has its own circumstances and merits and ‘consistency’ has to be judged in the light thereof. What has been ‘consistent’ was school and school activities first and Province unfortunately second. That is one of the reasons we send our sons there.
For those who understand the above ethos no explanation is necessary , for those who don’t , no explanation will suffice.
@Frik: I’m not too close to the goings on in PE, but I agree with Frik that it seems that Grey have been inconsistent in their approach to this.
@BrotherBear: @Wyvern:
Not sure what the arrangements for trials were based on. Also don’t know whether there are schools with lights. The issue in my opinion is that it was necessary to start the trials early in the day because of players having to travel. Even if you could do trials in the afternoon and evening, would it have been a good idea for those coming from far to travel back in the night? Whatever approach you take, someone’s got to travel and miss school.
@Frik: Are there any schools that have floodlit fields fit for rugby in pe?
@Frik: Sounds like the trial organisers could not source fields with lights and thus trials had to start earlier in day?
@Frik: Fair enough
@Playa: As I said, the interschools is only one example, many other can be quoted. Be consistent in your decision making.
@kcman: I doubt that the final team will look much like the A trial team. I’d be surprised if more than 3 or 4 Framesby boys go through eventually.
@rugbyfan: They used to be part of Border CD until the creation of EPCD a few years back and got reeled into that mix.
Looks more like a Framesby Invitation XV that Merit A side. Very interesting considering Framesby have only won about 25% of their matches this year.
@Frik: @Wyvern: In Grey’s defence, a trip to Stellenbosch is normally planned at least a year before, so schooling is structured around it, whereas trial times get announced at shorter notice.
These trials were scheduled to be from 11:30 to 16:30 on a Tuesday – I am not sure if this is the norm nowadays, but this was never the case in my day – then again that was 16 years ago. When Grey requested that the start time be after 14:30 – or alternatively get the trials to run longer to give the Grey boys enough time to travel, the response was that there is not sufficient light at Marlow to allow that. EP then suggested the Grey provide them with a field with floodlights to hold the trials, they could carry on till 20:00 – and Grey couldn’t provide one.
In my view, Grey’s stance was right, but one could say they have to share the blame for a lack of compromise. Then again, how practical was EP’s compromise to have the trials venue moved from Cradock to PE at such short notice???
How do boys from Aliwal North and Burgersdorp land up under the Eastern Province group, surely these teams should either be playing for Border CD or Free State.
@Wyvern: Only the final trials are over a weekend, the Meyer Sauerman tournament this weekend.
@The Don: I hope so too, as you can see from the trial teams only those Grey players who played Craven week or grant khomo last year were invited to this weekends trials. That means that other possible candidates are already prejudiced and a late bloomer may be overlooked
@Frik: If what you are saying is true then I agree on the consistency part of it. Has there not been in the past a predetermined weekend that gets set aside for trials?
Hope EP still picks the best players.
@Frik: As an Old Grey I have to agree with you mate. The waterpolo players at Grey spend almost as much time away from class as in it. There is not consistency in that decision. I think Grey just wanted to be fully prepares for Wynberg as it was our reunion weekend. It wouldn’t be the first time the “reunion weekend” thing tries to hold a player or players back.
@Wyvern: well then the school must be consistent in their decision making. They thought nothing of missing two days of school for interschools against Paul Roos for example. Many other instances can be quoted where school is missed for sport. Apart from that, EP is a big province, how do you propose fitting the trials in after school? There are only so many weekends available in the year. Many players have to travel long distances to attend the trials, impossible to fit it in after school during the week. Maybe you have a clever solution..
@Frik: I disagree, the right decision made by the school…..daft decision by EP rugby to have it during school times!
@Vleis: I’m quite sure they are. They ended up in the academy side because of their non participation in the previous trials. Daft decision by the school which will hopefully not have a negative impact on both the players from Grey and also the EP teams that are selected eventually
Are the Grey guys in the City Academy teams eligible to make the CW team? I think that there are too few Kingswood and SAC players in the top four teams. Also, I expected to see the SAC fullback in one of the top two teams.