EDITORIAL: Best schools team must be selected

EASTERN Province’s Craven Week rugby team will be announced early next week, but the build-up to this weekend’s “final trial” has not been without controversy. The selection of any team sparks debate and in schoolboy rugby this is especially so with everyone having his or her own opinion as to what the makeup of the teams should be. Saturday’s Meyer Sauerman tournament will double up as a last chance for the selectors to run their eye over the region’s talent. Six teams were released by EP High Schools yesterday, and the composition of the Merit A and Merit B sides suggests Grey High have been punished for not attending the final trials in Cradock last week. Grey cited a taxing schedule and a reunion weekend against Wynberg as the main reasons for not travelling inland. They also said their boys were not allowed to leave school before 2.10pm Monday to Friday. The trial would have required the invited boys to take the day off school. Although it was not being spoken about openly, Grey’s decision irked a number of involved parties and it seems the selectors have opted to teach the school a lesson by only including one of their players in the Merit A team for Saturday with none in the Merit B team.

Instead, most of their boys were included in the lesser Bay Academy teams, including three boys who played in last year’s Craven Week. Framesby have seven players included in the Merit A team, despite only winning three of their 12 matches this season. Last year, an injury to a key player sparked a heated bust-up. It culminated with an extra player boarding the team bus. After Grey High centre Josiah Boafo was forced to withdraw because of injury, uncertainty existed over who would replace him. Another Grey centre, Aya Oliphant, was informed he was on standby if any player was injured, but Daniel Pienaar’s Denver Klue was chosen. The row could not be resolved before the team left for Stellenbosch and both players boarded the bus. It is hoped that this scenario is not an extended stand-off between Grey and the ruling body. In the end, agendas must be put aside and sanity has to prevail. The best squad must be chosen to represent the province.