Four Kwazulu-Natal players have been included in the SA Schools 28-player strong squad to take on England, France and Wales during August. Maritzburg College fullback Jesse Kriel started today’s trials held in Kempton Park as a firm favour to make the cut after leaving a huge impression at Craven Week, where he was one of the players of the tournament. The Kearsney trio of centre Sandile Kubeka and forward twins Daniel and Jean-Luc du Preez have been stand out players for their school during the rugby season. Even so they have done exceptionally well to rise to the occasion and earn places, considering the wealth of talent they had to compete against at the trials.
Affies are the best represented school with four players out of the Blue Bulls tally of nine. Although Western Province only have three representatives, the Western Cape boasts eight squad members thus underlining the province’s strength in schools rugby. The unbeaten Eastern Province Craven Week team contributes two players, the Pumas, Limpopo Bulls and Craven Week finalists the Golden Lions all have one player apiece. There is also only one Free Stater in the squad and surprise surprise he is not from Grey College Bloemfontein. This is therefore the first time since 1996 that there has been an SA Schools team without a single Grey Bloem player in it.
The notable omissions from the squad include the Monnas trio of Jaco van der Walt (SA Schools 2011), Stefan Vermeulen (SA Academy 2011) and Lions captain Chris Massyn. Paul Roos’ Ramone Samuels is another excluded player that was expected to be in the mix.
St Alban’s lock Abongile Nonkontwana is still in line to make history as the first non-Craven Week attendee to be selected for SA Schools if he earns a cap during the up-and-coming international matches. According to new rules introduced this year, players could be selected for SA Schools without playing at Craven Week and players will only be awarded SA Schools colours if they play for the team.
The SA Schools Squad is:
| # | Position | Name | Surname | Union | School |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Prop | Pierre | Schoeman | Blue Bulls | Affies |
| 2 | Prop | Dayan | van der Westhuizen | Blue Bulls | Centurion |
| 3 | Prop | Wilco | Louw | Boland | Drostdy |
| 4 | Prop | Ox | Nche | Free State | Louis Botha |
| 5 | Hooker | Francois | Esterhuyzen | Boland | Overberg |
| 6 | Hooker | Malcolm | Marx | Golden Lions | KES |
| 7 | Hooker | Chad | Solomon | Western Province | Paul Roos |
| 8 | Lock | Nicolaas | Jv Rensburg | Blue Bulls | Affies |
| 9 | Lock | Abongile | Nonkontwana | Blue Bulls | St Albans |
| 10 | Lock | Gideon | Koegelenberg | Boland | Hugenote |
| 11 | Lock | Daniël | du Preez | KwaZulu-Natal | Kearsney |
| 12 | Lock | JD | Schickerling | Western Province | Paarl Gim |
| 13 | Flank | Thabo | Mabuza | Blue Bulls | Centurion |
| 14 | Flank | Jean-Luc | du Preez | KwaZulu-Natal | Kearsney |
| 15 | No.8 | Aidon | Davis | Eastern Province | Daniel Pienaar |
| 16 | No.8 | Jano | Venter | Pumas | HTS Middelberg |
| 17 | Scrumhalf | Justin | Phillips | Blue Bulls | Waterkloof |
| 18 | Scrumhalf | Akhona | Sihunu | Border | Dale |
| 19 | Flyhalf | Ryno | Eksteen | Blue Bulls | Affies |
| 20 | Flyhalf | Handré | Pollard | Western Province | Paarl Gim |
| 21 | Centre | Jurie | Linde | Blue Bulls | Affies |
| 22 | Centre | Rohan | Jv Rensburg | Blue Bulls | Waterkloof |
| 23 | Centre | Sandile | Kubeka | KwaZulu-Natal | Kearsney |
| 24 | Centre | Warrick | Galant | South Western Districts | Outeniqua |
| 25 | Wing | Sergeal | Petersen | Eastern Province | Grey PE |
| 26 | Wing | Matjikinyane | Molapo | Limpopo Bulls | Ben Vorster |
| 27 | Wing | Duhan | van der Merwe | South Western Districts | Outeniqua |
| 28 | Fullback | Jesse | Kriel | KwaZulu-Natal | Maritzburg Coll |
Sorry. 1 change to the list. Aidon Davies, the EP no.8 is actually from Daniel Pienaar. I had him listed as a Grey PE player before. Correction made thanks to Mr Tony Stoops who has this excellent website going at http://www.stoopstats.co.za Just about everything on W/Cape rugby is in there.
@beet – thanks. Makes very interesting reading in this format.
Only 2 Flankers in a squad of 28 with 5 locks. I wonder if Dan du Preez would be considered as a loosie?
@TheGoose: Hi. I’ve gone back to the old table format and included the player positions.
Interesting that Jesse is the only player that ran out as a fullback at CW but Sergeal Petersen plays no.15 for Grey PE all the time so I’m sure he is cover in this possie.
Its also quite interesting that in a semi-specialised possie of scrumhalf only 2 boys???
@beet – Can you add positions for the boys that have been selected?
Well done to Abongile Nonkontwana aka Daddy
he made it.
@kcob: @beet: I hope the Sharks have offered those twins big contracts,they can’t afford to lose a second pair of twins for the 2nd consecutive year
@kcob: @HORSEFLY NO.1: Sorry, too early to type! Meant to ask whether SARU are indeed going to select an u16 HP squad? It seemed posts last year were as late as sept.
@HORSEFLY NO.1: are SARU going to a HP squad at all this year.been hearing rumors. It appears last years squad was appointed as late a September, I believe.
Did the initial post in a hurry so I’ve added a few words and the school names now.
Well done to the players selected and especially the 4 KZN players. It’s an outstanding achievement and goes to show that although KZN may not have same kind of depth as some of the other regions or a powerhouse school, we certainly produce some very talented players that over the years have gone on to do very well in rugby.
@Ludz, I meant the most picked in one year. I know College got like 4 in 1987….
@Grasshopper: That tag probably belongs to Brad Barritt
Well done to all the KZN boys who made the squad! 3 from Kearsney must be their best ever.
Dissappointed that there’s still no SA U16 HP squad though
All four KZN boys from larger squad picked! Well done! And also to Kearsney with an amazing 3 players in the SA Schools squad!!!
Well done to captain Pierre Schoeman,Molapo the Limpopo Blue Bulls lad did well at Craven Week,Eastern Cape boys Aidon Davis and Border scrummie Sihunu