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SA schools side named

Cape Town - The national selectors have named the SA Schools team for the Under-18 International Series opening match on Friday against France at the Hugenote High School in Wellington.

The match starts at 17:00 while Six Nations rivals England and Wales will get the series underway in the first match at 15:00.

Powerful Blue Bulls prop Pierre Schoeman, in his second year as a SA Schools player, will captain the team which boasts a macro pack of forwards. Schoeman will partner fellow Blue Bulls prop Dayan van der Westhuizen in the front row, while mobile Golden Lions hooker Malcolm Marx will pack between the burly props. Interestingly, Marx played flank for the Golden Lions Under-16 Craven Week team a few seasons ago.

The SA Schools team will especially look to their towering locks, John-Dave Schickerling and Gideon Koegelenberg, to secure lineout possession so that scrumhalf Justin Phillips can feed the backline which will be marshaled by SA Under-20 flyhalf, Handré Pollard.

The Western Province pivot is the team’s most experienced player and he made history earlier this year by becoming the first schoolboy to play for the SA Under-20 team, who recently won the IRB Junior World Championship trophy in thrilling fashion on home soil.

Pollard, like Schickerling, plays his school rugby in the colours of Paarl Gymnasium, currently the No 1-ranked schools rugby side in the country. Furthermore, the match will be an extra special occasion for Koegelenberg as the No 4 lock will make his SA Schools debut on his home ground in Wellington.

Eastern Province flyer Sergeal Petersen was the outstanding wing at the recent Under-18 Craven Week in Port Elizabeth and he will run our as right wing, while Duhan van der Merwe of SWD will play in the number 11 jersey.

Identical twins Jean-Luc du Preez (No 7) and Daniël du Preez of KwaZulu-Natal - the sons of former Springbok scrumhalf Robert du Preez - were also included in the match 23.

SA team:

Position

Name and Surname

 

15

Jesse Kriel 

KwaZulu-Natal

14

Sergeal Petersen

Eastern Province

13

Sandile Kubeka

KwaZulu-Natal

12

Rohan Janse van Rensburg

Blue Bulls

11

Duhan van der Merwe

SWD

10

Handré Pollard  (vice-captain)

Western Province

9

Justin Phillips

Blue Bulls

8

Jano Venter

Pumas

7

Jean-Luc du Preez

KwaZulu-Natal

6

Thabo Mabuza

Blue Bulls

5

John-Dave Schickerling

Western Province

4

Gideon Koegelenberg

Boland

3

Dayan van der Westhuizen

Blue Bulls

2

Malcolm Marx

Golden Lions

1

Pierre Schoeman  (captain)

Blue Bulls

 

Substitutes

 

16

Chad Solomon

Western Province

17

Ox Nche

Free State

18

Wilco Louw

Boland

19

Abongile Nonkontwana               

Blue Bulls

20

Daniël du Preez

KwaZulu-Natal

21

Akhona Sihunu

Border

22

Ryno Eksteen

Blue Bulls

23

Warrick Gelant

SWD

 

The Under-18 International Series fixtures, kick-off times and venues are:

Date

Fixture

Kick-off times

Venue

Friday, 10 Aug

England U18 vs. Wales U18

SA Schools vs. France U18

15:00

17:00

Hugenote High, Wellington

Tuesday, 14 Aug

England U18 vs. France 18

SA Schools vs. Wales U18

15:00

15:00

Outeniqua Park, George

Saturday, 18 Aug

France U18 vs. Wales U18

SA Schools vs. England U18

11:00

12:45

UWC Sports Stadium, Bellville


 
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