Chance to shine for EP's stars
A QUINTET of young Eastern Province players will have a wonderful opportunity to showcase their skills when a series of junior rugby internationals gets under way tomorrow.
Powerhouse Daniel Pienaar prop Lupumlo Mguca joins the Grey High trio of Curwin Bosch, Keanu Vers and Junior Pokomela in the SA Schools squad to take on France, Wales and England.
The first match takes place tomorrow, with South Africa meeting France at City Park in Cape Town. The game will be televised live on SuperSport 8 from 4pm.
And former Grey High wing Luca dalla Vecchia, who has Italian citizenship, will be keen to seize his opportunity when he turns out for Italy u-19 in three matches over the next nine days.
The players will be hoping to follow in the footsteps of a number of their predecessors who have gone on to greater achievements. Former SA Schools stars who recently have graduated through the Saru national team ranks include Handre Pollard, Johan Goosen, Jan Serfontein (Springboks), Sergeal Petersen, Warrick Gelant and JD Schickerling (Junior Springboks) and Tshotsho Mbovane (Springbok sevens).
For Pokomela and Vers, this will be their chance to establish themselves for higher honours as both will be entering the u-19 ranks next year. Pokomela will be joining the EP Kings junior system in 2015, while Vers still has another year at school, although he will be ineligible for representative teams which have an u-18 age-limit.
Bosch and Mguca, both 17, will be keen to show what they can do, knowing they have another year in the u-18 division.
The series will see the best South African schoolboy talent in action against the best of Europe for the fourth consecutive year.
The South Africans are on an impressive winning streak, having lost none of their previous nine matches in the series, dating back to 2011.
Saru chief executive Jurie Roux described the annual international series as an important part of the further development of South Africa's best youth rugby players.
"We welcome the national squads of England, Wales, France and Italy to our shores [for] our SA Schools international friendlies," Roux said. "Our objective with this programme is to afford our best u-18 players with international playing opportunities.
"One of the benefits of this is that following these fixtures, our development and high-performance departments will identify the players who have impressed during the series for possible further representation in our national structures."
Fixtures:
Tomorrow, City Park, Cape Town: 12.30: Italy v WP Coca-Cola Craven Week XV; 2pm: England v Wales; 4pm: SA Schools v France.
Tuesday, Outeniqua Park, George: 2pm: Italy v SWD Coca-Cola Craven Week XV; 3.45: England v France; 5.30: SA Schools v Wales.
Saturday, August 23, Paul Roos Markötter, Stellenbosch: 12.00: Italy v Saru Regional Academy XV; 2pm: France v Wales, 4pm: SA Schools v England. - Neale Emslie
