Eastern Province choose for Craven Week

Grey wing at flyhalf

Eastern Province have named their team for the Craven Week in Nelspruit in July. Filling the flyhalf berth has raised some eyebrows.

In a surprise move the Eastern Province Craven Week selectors have chosen Warren Bell of Grey at flyhalf. He plays wing for his school which prefers Matthew Taylor-Smith at flyhalf. Matthew Taylor-Smith went to trials as the A team flyhalf, Warren Bell as a utility back.

Carl Bezuidenhout of Union High in Graaff-Reinet went to the trials at the Meyer Sauerman Week in Cradock as the flyhalf in the EP Country Academy side but he had such a good game against Border that he was chosen for the Craven Week side.

Two of the players are back from the 2003 team – win Jerome Williams of Middelburg, who played for the SA Academy team in 2003, and centre Sinethemba Jack, the Ndzondelelo vice-captain, who scored the winning points against Nathaniel Nyaluza in their recent FNB Classic Clash.

Four of the players are from the highly-rated Grey side and four from Daniël Pienaar, including the captain and eighthman Dewald Potgieter. Dewald is in Grade 11 (Std 9), a tall eighthman in the Morné du Plessis mould.

Several of the players have been Eastern Province representatives in the lower age-groups – Dewald Potgieter who captained EP Under-16, Johan van Niekerk, Grant Stander, Rudi Mathee, Simon Westraadt and Murray Sparg. Ashwin van Heerden is a top athlete who spent last year at Grey in Bloemfontein before returning to Die Brandwag.

Eastern Province play the main match of the opening day at the Craven Week in Nelspruit when they play hosts Mpumalanga.

The Eastern Province Craven Week side: Johan van Niekerk (Marlow), Vuyo Mhlobiso (Daniël Pienaar), Jerome Williams (Middelburg) (vice-captain), SP du Plessis (Nico Malan),Ashwin van Heerden (Die Brandwag), Warren Bell (Grey), Marlon Lewes (Bertram), Dewald Potgieter (Daniël Pienaar) (captain), Louwrence Lombard (Marlow), Grant Stander (Westering), Rudi Mathee (Otto du Plessis), Jacques Potgieter (Daniël Pienaar), BJ Minnie (Andrew Rabie), Simon Westraadt (Grey), Byron Schmidt (Grey), Taleni Mzimshe (Ndzondelelo), Murray Sparg (Grey), Rynhardt Landman (Despatch), Charl Bekker (Despatch), Simethemba Jack (Ndzondelelo), Carl Bezuidenhout (Union HS), Luthando Show (Daniël Pienaar).

Manager: Louwtjie Louw (Jansenville)
Coach: Ronnie Korkee (Chatty)
Assistant Coach: Melvin Mlungisi Nopote (Masp)