Ahead of their capping ceremony at the stadium, the KZN Craven Week team will take on the Sharks u19 squad on Kings Park field 6 at 3pm on Wednesday 10 June 2015. This is their first of a series of warm-up games in preparation for what will hopefully be the province’s most successful Craven Week campaign in a number of years now. Next Tuesday, 16 June the KZN youth week teams will be in action against their Pumas age-group counterparts in Vryheid and on Saturday 27 June, the Craven Week players face a tough test against Free State in Sasolburg, with the KZN Grant Khomo Week team playing the Blue Bulls under-16’s at the same venue. KZN’s first game at Craven Week in Stellenbosch is a massive Day 2 clash against the Golden Lions, who have a very good recent track record at the event.
KZN Craven Week 2015
| NAME | SCHOOL | POSITION | AG | H | W | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Christopher KLOPPER | Glenwood | LH PROP | u18 | 184 | 110 |
| 2 | Matt WISEMAN | Michaelhouse | HOOKER | u18 | 179 | 90 |
| 3 | Khatha MCHUNU | Glenwood | TH PROP | u18 | 181 | 114 |
| 4 | Sibabalo QOMA | Westville | LOCK | u18 | 188 | 108 |
| 5 | Jordan SESINK-CLEE | Michaelhouse | LOCK | u18 | 201 | 99 |
| 6 | Nama XABA | Glenwood | FLANK | u18 | 184 | 93 |
| 7 | Tristan DIXON | Kearsney | FLANK | u18 | 195 | 110 |
| 8 | Marco PALVIE | Glenwood | No.8 | u18 | 187 | 101 |
| PACK AVG HEIGHT, | TOTAL WEIGHT | 187 | 825 | |||
| 9 | Matt DAHL | Hilton | SCRUMHALF | u18 | 178 | 80 |
| 10 | Bader PRETORIUS | Michaelhouse | FLYHALF | u18 | 178 | 88 |
| 11 | Ilunga MUKENDI | Glenwood | WING | u18 | 182 | 85 |
| 12 | James TEDDER | Kearsney | CENTRE | u18 | 189 | 83 |
| 13 | Donny DU RANDT | Glenwood | CENTRE | u18 | 170 | 72 |
| 14 | Xolisa GUMA | Maritzburg College | WING | u18 | 184 | 82 |
| 15 | Victor FOSTER | Michaelhouse | FULLBACK | u18 | 183 | 82 |
| 16 | Anele SONGCA | Michaelhouse | LH PROP | u18 | 184 | 94 |
| 17 | Hendrik PRINSLOO | Westville | HOOKER | u17 | 175 | 103 |
| 18 | Andrew PEVERELLE | Hilton | LH PROP | u18 | 179 | 105 |
| 19 | Mulalo SADIKI | Michaelhouse | No.8 | u18 | 188 | 95 |
| 20 | Ryan vd WESTHUIZEN | Pionier | SCRUMHALF | u18 | 178 | 76 |
| 21 | Kudzai MUNANGI | Maritzburg College | WING | u18 | 180 | 84 |
| 22 | Jerome BOSSR | Glenwood | FLYHALF | u17 | 181 | 77 |
Possible Sharks u19 team starting line-up
| Name | School | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ngoni Chidoma | Northwood |
| 2 | Edrich Kankowski | Piketburg |
| 3 | Kabelo Motloung | Northwood |
| 4 | Christie vd Merwe | Piketburg |
| 5 | Rikus Zwart | Noord-Kaap |
| 6 | Michael Meyer | Paul Roos |
| 7 | Ruan Smook | Port Natal |
| 8 | Cameron McNabb | Dr Lemmer, Namibia |
| 9 | Jaywinn Juries | Hentie Cilliers |
| 10 | Tristan Tedder | Kearsney |
| 11 | Robin Sammy | Gill |
| 12 | Wayno Visagie | Paarl Gim |
| 13 | Chris Lines | Kearsney |
| 14 | Sbu Nkosi | Jeppe |
| 15 | Morné Joubert | Glenwood |
@Buffel: Sorry – automatically read craven Week (not Currie Cup)
too much of a SBR fan 
Ja- I am talking about the u19’s. Looking at the team sheet at the top of the thread, going to struggle against a top Province outfit. Hope I am wrong.
Tedder been struggling with a hip flexor but I am sure he will be ready-he is crucial to their cause. That province side is full of SA Schools boys . Bet they will be shit hot.
@Buffel: 2 warm up games before then.
Mon 16th vs Pumas in Vryheid
Then Bondedag
CW vs Cheetahs and GK vs Bulls.
So 2 reasonable tests for the boys before they get to their weeks.
Good luck to the team.
@h2o: So sad – as I mentioned earlier – loyalty can be bred from very early (Bulletjies) without a hefty price tag. Your initiative seems very worthy and worth following up on – no big money from the union – and yet EVERY junior boy has played with a Shark on his jersey!
I slightly disagree with you on the U16 level – I think if high school recruiters are looking at U12/13 level – why aren’t the Sharks starting with the funnel then too. Again – we are not talking big money – a training day at KP for the U14/15 age group with a few Sharks and the U19 coaching team. A tour of the gym -a chat on drugs and nutrition by Dr Glen H etc. These start breeding loyalty at a younger age – and creating a funnel of talent – and then makes it easier to catch the top guys at u18.
Looking at KERF as the primary tool is also limiting as many great local schools aren’t there. Spread the net wider IMO.
@meadows: Some of the signings in the past couple of years have been good but this current crop fall well short of what the locals expect. The stand outs are T.Tedder and M.Joubert from Craven Week in 2014 and C.Lines who played u19’s last year. The rest -time will tell. With the Currie Cup 29 days away and the Sharks first assignment -WP away, they had better bring their A plus game to the field.
@Pedantic: I agree – education is certainly and important factor. You can add a (certainly in the past) dysfunctional contracting process, I can attest to a number of MHS boys who have gone on to play senior rugby over the past decade that the Sharks were simply behind the curve in signing up.
One of the biggest problems facing the Sharks recruiters is that there is no decent university – a bright kid is really not interested in a Bcom from Varsity College, trying to study at UKZN and get to training must be a logistical nightmare.
Add to that, the lack of a competitive Varsity Cup side and other provinces are looking like a far better short to medium term option.
I had in 2008 approached the Sharks/KZNRU and requested permission to embroid/fix a shark emblem on every bulletjie rugby players chest or jersey sleeve. Their response…. they may not be done because it is a registered trademark. Eduard Coetzee had valid points in his speech last night but you will not buy loyalty…. the Sharks need to identify boys at u16 level and not u17/18 level and invest in their future…. show interest keep local instead of buying boys from other unions. Why do this when you have much better talent coming through your school system. Don’t wait for KERF fill your yearly requirements with local boys identified 3 years ago and then if you do not have quality in a position then look outside the province…. you will end up with local quality happy boys who are not homesick wanting to go back to the Free state
@Bonthuis: Just give us your 15 – we can discuss from there …
@Pedantic: Why are we perennial underachievers at Craven Week, why? What reason would you give??
@Pedantic:
Let’s make it a bit easier. Let’s see if ou Bonthuis can name the 15 positions, never mind the okes who fill them. I don’t think he knows the first thing about the game. Just a troll causing kak. I agree with ou Buffel – Beet should boot him. He adds no value here whatsoever.
@Bonthuis: Why not give us the 15 names you would have in your CW team – then we can maybe take you seriously. Remember 7 PD players in starting 15.
Let’s let the results speak for themselves, but, looks like it’s going to be another tough Craven Week for KZN mainly due to the selections being so political in this province, bit of a joke really…
@Buffel: Chance for him to join up with old school team mate Morne Joubert…
@Rugger fan: These guys don’t see it yet the other unions are licking their lips with joy at the lack of urgency and poor planning by the Sharks. @Grasshopper: Spoke to Mukendi and he is definitely staying.
Mukendi is staying with the Sharks, saw on Facebook with his mom and dad..
@Pedantic: @Buffel: Hmmm – sad that the senior guys were not there to show support to the juniors.
My continued little soap box – one can do small things like hand shakes and names in programs – or photos in the Sharks magazine – tours of the change rooms etc. These really have minimal costs – but go a long way to building loyalty to a province. And this can all start at U8 level. So that by now – these strapping 18 year olds will not be interested in other provinces with similar offers – but they’d want to wear the black n white.
I tend to agree with both of you that come 2016 – a LOT of home grown talent will be flung far and wide.
What is a highlight in the boys career- the capping ceremony was well supported . The message was strong from the Sharks management- we want to keep the home grown talent in the province . Let us see where we they all end up. Personal experience tells me , spread far and wide.
@Rugger fan: I didn’t see it, but reports are that the game wasn’t really a “match” so to say – the U18’s were a mix of CW and AW players and scored prolifically against the U19 Sharks Academy side.
After attending in 2014, John Smit was conspicuous in his absence at the capping ceremony, further casting doubt into our minds about the Sharks’ attitude to their youngsters. Eduard Coetzee stepped in with what I felt was a good message to the boys.
Captaincy has not been announced yet.
How did the game go?
And news on the capping and captaincy please.
@Grasshopper: Looking at the makeup of the team, one would guess Dixon is the backup lock as Sadiki looks like a certain flank cover. Could mean the big guy gets to play 3 games
@BOG: This is a match with chukkas and player rotation and not really a proper game.
u19s have the opportunity to play at Craven Week when they are u18 and/or u17, just like all the rest.
Some u19s are fortunate and can still attend Puk Week in July.
Gosh, didn’t realise Sisink-Clee was that light, surely Dixon should play lock to add the bulk. Although Sisink-Clee is a great line-out jumper..
If this match is in order, and I believe it is, there is not a single valid reason why school going U 19s should not be eligible for CW
So which team will the Tedder family be supporting
@vlei: He could be but there are other good leaders in the squad and Dahl will be limited to a max of 2 matches.
Surely Dahl is in with a shot?
@GreenBlooded: I think all will be revealed today at the capping ceremony. My bet is Bader captain, Nama vice but it could be vice versa as well.
Have they named a captain yet? Surely it will be Dixon?