There are two reasons why Josh Gouws of Afrikaanse Ho\u00ebr Seunskool is undoubtedly an interesting selection in the Bulls u18A line-up to face the Valke on Tuesday, 2 June, on the Loftus outfield.<\/p>\n
Two Josh Gouws\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n There are, in fact, two Josh Gouws\u2019 in the Bulls u18A squad. That was always a possibility given that Garsfontein flyhalf Josh Gouws entered the season as the top-rated player in the province in his position, while Affies\u2019 Josh Gouws returned as an established Witbul 1st XV player from 2025 \u2014 something that immediately placed him in the category of elite young talent.<\/p>\n Rugby has delivered plenty of examples of players sharing the same name over the years.<\/p>\n If you watched rugby in the 1980s, you will probably remember Schalk Burger at lock and Schalk Burger Junior on the flank for WP.<\/p>\n More recently, there was Cobus \u201cBaywatch\u201d Grobbelaar alongside Cobus Grobler in the same Lions team.<\/p>\n Only ever in the same New Zealand A team together, but certainly in the same Super Rugby era, there was Crusaders centre Mark Robinson, who later became NZR CEO, and Mark \u201cSharky\u201d Robinson, the scrumhalf who represented the Blues among other sides. Both were All Blacks.<\/p>\n From a school rugby perspective, one of the best examples of two players sharing the exact same name came at EG Jansen in 2017 and 2018, when two front-row players packed down alongside each other, both named Dian Coetzee.<\/p>\n The Affies Conundrum<\/strong><\/p>\n It may not immediately look that way on paper, but one cannot help feeling that Affies had three outside backs with genuine claims for selection in this Bulls u18A group, with Josh Gouws ultimately getting the nod. In a target-free environment, there is a strong argument that all three might well have found themselves in the squad.<\/p>\n Gouws\u2019 versatility probably won the day. He has enjoyed an outstanding campaign on the wing before recently shifting to fullback, initially to provide cover for the injured Kyle van Staden.<\/p>\n His wing partner in crime for a good deal of the season, Dandre Brink, has been phenomenal, made even more impressive by the fact that he is still u17. The only thing seemingly standing between him and being regarded as the best in the country is his teammate, the explosive, tackle-busting X-factor of Dehan Botha.<\/p>\n Botha made a relatively late start to the season but has produced the sort of freak-of-nature impact that places him alongside recent strong-on-their-feet, collision-dominating schoolboy stars such as Jurenzo Julius, Pieter van der Merwe, Ethan Adams and Markus Muller.<\/p>\n Botha has been an exceptional game-breaker and if you are looking to win matches and challenge for titles, he is exactly the sort of player who demands consideration for selection.<\/p>\n