The SA Schools clinched the international series by beating England 36-29 in Bellville on Saturday. The hosts also ended the tournament as the only unbeaten team, having disposed of France and Wales in previous matches. Captain Handre Pollard of Paarl Gymnasium was once again the hero, contributing 21 points via the boot and a well taken try.
South Africa seemed to have turned a corner this year by adopting a far more proactive approach to national selections at this under-18 level. SA under-20 Junior World Championship winning coach Dawie Theron was also part of the process and there was talk about a movement towards picking players based on their future potential rather than just what they had to offer as schoolboys. This increased level of synergy will hopefully bear fruit in future JWC u20 campaigns.
4 KwaZulu-Natal players, Sandile Kubeka, Daniel du Preez, Jean-Luc du Preez (all Kearsney) and Jesse Kriel (Maritzburg College) were part of this 2012 SA Schools winning team.
In the earlier game France and Wales drew 13-all.
SCORERS:
SOUTH AFRICA 36 (20). Tries: Handrè Pollard, Rohan Janse van Rensburg, Sergeal Petersen. Conversions: Pollard (3). Penalties: Pollard (5).
ENGLAND 29 (10). Tries: Josh Watkins, Joel Conlon, Maro Itoje, Tom Stephenson, Zach Kibirige. Conversions: Sam Olver (2).
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