On Saturday, 19 October the Eastern Province Kings under-19’s gained promotion to the Absa under-19 Currie Cup A-division for 2014, achieved via a 27-20 victory over Border. However they then had to watch their EP under-21 team go down 23-21 to Border in the other junior rugby promotion-relegation match. This means that a few of those EP under-19 winners will still be playing B-division rugby in 2014 as under-21’s. It also meant that at the end of the day the Border under-19 team had more cause to celebrate than their counterparts.
It’s perhaps food for thought for SARU. There are merits to promotion-relegation games but in age-group rugby where the composition of teams change so drastically from one season to the next, it perhaps makes more sense to play these sudden death games prior to the start of the current year’s season rather than at the end of the preceding year’s one. This also might not be an ideal situation but it would at least ensure that players expected to represent the teams play for the spoils.
Fortunately it’s not all bad news for the EP Kings under-19 juniors. In fact much of their success is good news for the struggling union. Their 23-player under-19 side for the final contained no fewer than 12 schoolboys of whom 10 are still eligible for under-19 selection next year and of which 9 have pledged their futures to the EPRU.
EP Kings under-19 team:
| # | Name | School | Age Group | u19 RU in 2014 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | David Murray | St Andrews | u18 | EP u19 |
| 2 | Jean Pierre Jamieson | Grey HS | u18 | EP u19 |
| 3 | Matthew Moore (c.) | Brandwag | u19 | |
| 4 | Stephan Ebersohn | Grey HS | u18 | Bulls u19 |
| 5 | Gerrit Huisamen | Grey HS | u18 | EP u19 |
| 6 | John Henry Schmitt | Oudtshoorn | u19 | |
| 7 | Tyler Paul | St Andrews | u18 | EP u19 |
| 8 | Erwin Slabbert | Framesby | u19 | |
| 9 | Jason Baggott | St Andrews | u18 | EP u19 |
| 10 | Alex Banfield | Grey HS | u19 | |
| 11 | Sherwin Slater | Andrew Rabie | u19 | |
| 12 | Luan Nieuwoudt | Nico Malan | u18 | EP u19 |
| 13 | Selvyn Davids | Nico Malan | u19 | |
| 14 | Sergeal Petersen | Grey HS | u19 | |
| 15 | Khaya Malotana | Queens | u19 | |
| 16 | Jonathan Ford | Pearson | u19 | |
| 17 | Similile Qinela | Selborne | u19 | |
| 18 | Bathandwa Cafu | Grey HS | u18 | EP u19 |
| 19 | Dewald Meyer | Otto du Plessis | u19 | |
| 20 | Francois Nel | Daniel Pienaar | u19 | |
| 21 | Mitchell Turner | Selborne | u19 | |
| 22 | Ethan Fortuin | St Andrews | u18 | EP u19 |
| 23 | Mvelo Khumalo | Kingswood | u18 | EP u19 |
@beet: yeah, good player, good playmaker, links up well when joining the line, creates space for the men outside. Good fullback.
@Ludz: No I know Scott. Youngster. Former Rondebosch boy right. Place kicks well.
@beet: I honestly can’t recall who that might, you’d remember if it were Scott van Breda hey.
@Queenian: 6 or so are back next year, so majority is leaving
@Ludz: No I know Dunlop well from his days in Durban.
The Kings had some utility back youngster off the bench but it might have been in their 2012 CC promo-relegation game vs Free State
@beet: With my judgment only based on wha I’ve seen from some of these okes in the high school days, I’d say the quality is definitely there. I didn’t get to watch too many under 19/21 games this year,but from the bit I saw, and from what I have heard the players are certainly of quality.It will be interesting to follow their progress and see how they mature into senior rugby.
@Ludz: How many of the Queens 1st XV are back next year or are they losing the majority of them?
@beet: Nope, only Kings Academy graduates to play Super Rugby this year were Sergeal Petersen, Reynier Bernardo, Siviwe Soyizwapi, Scott van Breda, Shane Gates and Aidon Davis. Confusing him with Wes Dunlop perhaps.
@Ludz: Yeah didn’t Marlou play in the promo-relegation game/s against the Lions after the SR season?
@Ludz: I even forgot about Claude Tshibidi at 7, Zaayman will probably play lock or vice versa with Claude at lock
@beet: there is good quality in the juniors Beet, barring any new arrivals, the starting XV should look something like this and all are quality players hey.
1. Vuks Sofisa
2. Tyrone Rankin/Yakha Qinela
3. Enoch Mnyaka/Matthew Moore
4. Brendan Hector
5. Kevin Kaba
6. Pitsa Punguzwa
7. Stephan Zaayman
8. Aidon Davis
9. Sonwabo Majola
10. Marlou van Niekerk/Alex Banfield
11. Sphu Msutwana
12. Jaco Bernado/Alex Banfield
13. Selvyn Davids
14. Sherwin Slater
15 Khaya Malotana
I reckon Sergeal will with the seniors, Aidon possibly with seniors and Marlou also a strong possibility
@beet: Pitsa’s size remains a concern, but his dedication and heart are unquestioned, plays with great and gives 110%, Bangi injured his shoulder in the 1st game of the season, only got back into action in this game, but agreed a really entertaining player.
Yeah Zorba seems to have settled into the team very well, looks to have a decent boot, attacks the line nicely, good little player Ruan Allerston
@Ludz: Great to see Bangi Kobese and Punguzwa in the u21 mix. Two guys that really bring on the entertainment value when on the park.
Also happy for Ruan Allerston. Before his leg injury in 2011, he was a key backline player in the Sharks u19 team.
QnQ. Needless to say but it’s about quality not quantity. If the quality of the local players is good, the Kings are on the right track. If not, they need to become more Griquas like and pick up good junior players that don’t get game time at bigger unions.
We also need a system that encourages the u20 national coach to pay careful attention to those playing in A-div type competition. This will encourage youngsters to value game time at a good institute over a contract while possibly watching from the stands and then getting cut later on in the year.
@Ludz: Absolutely beautiful!!!!
@Playa: it’s great to see hey, even the u21s had 4 out of 22 who weren’t from the EC
15: Siviwe Soyizwapi (Dale College)
14: Eben Barnard (Brandwag)
13: Marlou van Niekerk (Marlow Landbou)
12: Shane Gates (Muir College)
11: Andile Jho (Dale College)
10: Ruan Allerston (Port Natal)
09: Sonwabo Majola (Muir College)
08: Kevin Kaba (Queen’s College)
07: Claude Tshibidi (Potch Boys’ High School)
06: Wayvern Smith (Brandwag)
05: Stefan Willemse (Paarl Gymnasium) 04: Kuhle Sonkosi (Westering High School)
03: Pieter Stemmet (Paul Roos Gymnasium)
02: Dane van der Westhuyzen (St Andrew’s College)
01: Vukile Sofisa (Grey High School, PE)
Reserves:
16: Ruan Roberts (Daniel Pienaar)
17: Enoch Mnyaka (Dale College)
18: Brendan Hector (Union High School) 19: Siphesihle Punguzwa (Selborne College)
20: Bangi Kobese (Dale College)
21: Gavin Hauptfleisch (Boishaai)
22: Jaco Bernardo (Framesby High School)
It’s not often that you see a provincial side that is 100% homegrown.
I was rather bleak about the manner in which the u21s lost, poor excuse of a penalty in front of posts handing Border the game. Kings deserved better in that game