Caught the eye at Craven Week
Some possibles
On Saturday, the 2005 Craven Week will come to an end when Eastern Province play the Golden Lions at Grey College in Bloemfontein. Then the selectors will choose two teams.
The national selectors are: Ronald Bantom (Western Province), Denis Carelse (South Western Districts), Heinkie Green (Boland), Kevin Smith (KwaZulu Natal), Dries van der Wal (Free State).
They will choose a South African Schools and a South African Academy teams.
So far each side has played two matches. That doe snot mean that each player has played two matches as the regulations are that each player in the squad of 22 must start in one of the first two matches.
This has meant that Marlon Lewis of Eastern Province, who played for SA Schools in 2004, has had only one match. Edgar Marutlulle, who hooked for SA Schools last year, has had two matches but one as a flank for the Leopards.
Also back this year are flyhalf Ruan Boshoff of Mpumalanga, Mandilakhe Tile, the Border scrumhalf, Giant Nkosi, the Golden Lions lock/eighthman, Hendrik Roodt, the Leopards' lock, and Kirwan Frieslaar, the Eastern Province flank, all played for the SA Academy team in 2004 – and that Academy team beat SA Schools 35-26 at Ellis Park.
More than that PJ Vermeulen of Griquas and Marlon Lewis were in the South African Under-19 team which won the World Championship.
Apart from these outstanding players, there are others. We look at some who have caught the eye. The selectors will have a dozen eyes to work with and may well differ!
Fullbacks: Marvin Christians (Western Province), Byron Godfrey (Golden Lions), Johan Jackson (Leopards), Reinhard Kruger (Blue Bulls), Aubrey McDonald (Eastern Province), Christopher Micklewood (KwaZulu Natal).
Wings: Cecil Africa (Griffons), Alex Hattingh (Border), Chris Juries (Eastern Province), Willem Stapelberg (Mpumalanga), the son of the Springbok wing of the same name, Ghaliel Markus (Golden Lions).
Centres: Dabeon Draghoender (Griffons), Braam Gerber (Blue Bulls), JW Jonker (Free State), Gawie Marx (Mpumalanga), Ignus Prinsloo (South Western Districts), Senzo Sibiya (KwaZulu Natal), Albert Trytsman (Eastern Province), JJ Pienaar (Golden Lions), Stefan Watermeyer (Blue Bulls), PJ Vermeulen (Griquas)
Flyhalves: Ruan Boshoff (Mpumalanga), Shaun Davids (Eastern Province), Franklyn Lamini (South Western Districts), Justin St Jerry (Golden Lions), André Smith (Western Province), Bradwell Swartz (Boland), Burton Francis (Leopards)
Scrumhalves: Jaco Colyn (South Western Districts), Steven Grobler (Mpumalanga), Conrad Hoffman (Western Province), Marlon Lewis (Eastern Province), Ruan Snyman (Blue Bulls),Donald Stevens (Free State), Mandilakhe Tile (Border)
Eighthmen: Gert Kroukamp (Western Province), Dewald Potgieter (Eastern Province), Mzotyhando Simani (Border), Johannes Strauss (South Western Districts).
Flanks: Conrad Britz (South Western Districts), Kirwan Frieslaar (Eastern Province), Pieter Meyer (Blue Bulls), Cameron Peverett (Western Province), Clifford Potgieter (Mpumalanga), Johan van Deventer (Golden Lions), Johannes Janse van Rensburg (Golden Lions)
Locks: Jarryd Greyvenstein (Border), Matthew Lutge (Border),Mthunzi Mabeta (Blue Bulls), Giant Nkosi (Golden Lions), Alex van Staden (Griffons), Blake Wuth (KwaZulu Natal)
Props: Bennie Botes (Western Province), Louis Coetzee (Leopards), Zander de Kock (Falcons), Charl du Plessis (Golden Lions), Riacco Eilard (Griquas), Joseph Oosthuizen (Free State), Emil Rehr (South Western Districts), Jean Rossouw (Western Province), Kevin Stevens (Free State), Henry van der Westhuizen (Griquas)
Hookers: Lisle Clark (Border), Divan Kapp (Mpumalanga), Eric Marutlulle (Leopards), Michael Lockyear (Western Province), Frederick van Heerden (South Western Districts), David Wannenburg (Eastern Province).
