EP choose provincial sides
Eastern Province have chosen five teams to go to national weeks – two teams for Craven Week, two for the Academy Week and one for the Grant Khomo Week for Under-16 teams.
The Academy Week takes place on 29 June – 3 July, the Craven Week on 13-18 July, and the Grant Khomo Week on 6-9 July. There is also the Under-13 Craven Week from 29 June-3 July.
The Eastern Province teams will look odd to some. The team called Eastern Province is chosen from the Port Elizabeth-Humansdorp area. The inland teams form Eastern Province Country Districts. Inland includes Grahamstown. The division is not quite the old North Eastern Cape as that did not include Grahamstown
The result of this division has made the EP Country Districts team much stronger than the EP team. When the two met some time ago the Country Districts beat the EP side by eight tries to two!
The captains are taken from what are probably the strongest school teams in each area – Roco Gouws of Marlow for the Country Districts side and Renier Erasmus of Grey for the Eastern Province side.
Grey High’s Renier Erasmus will captain the Eastern Province under-18 senior side at this year’s Craven Week tournament.
Back in the Eastern Province side from last year’s Craven Week are Siya Kolisi and Emile Klaassen while Zolani Faku, who was in the Craven Week side last year is in the Academy side this year. Last year Eastern Province beat the Leopards and the Griffons but lost 62-7 to the Golden Lions.
Back in the Country Districts side are Adriaan de la Rey, Hanro Louw, François van Straaten, Chris du Randt and Regan Makwena. Last year the country Districts team beat Griquas country Districts and Limpopo but lost to Border.
The teams are:
Eastern Province Under-18: 15 Christiaan Schietekat (Framesby), 14 Dillon Hopshire (Die Brandwag), 13 Mbulelo Kama (Solomon Mhlanga), 12 Nicholas Holton (Grey), 11 Johan Louwrens (Daniël Pienaar), 10 Franz Botha (Die Brandwag), 9 Clinton Felix (Framesby), 8 Siya Kolisi (Grey), 7 Renier Erasmus Grey) (captain), 6 Edward van der Westhuizen (Nico Malan), 5 Rynier Bernardo (Framesby), 4 Louis Fourie (Pearson), 3 Phillip Nel (Otto du Plessis), 2 Michael van Vuuren (Grey), Emile Klaassen (Die Brandwag).
Reserves: 16 Ruan Roberts (Daniël Pienaar), 17 Asanda Modise (Newton), 18 Clinton Saunders (Pearson), 19 Heinrich Leonard (Die Brandwag), 20 Kyle van Zyl (Nico Malan), 21 Luxolo Daku (Victoria Park), 22 Duane Adams (Despatch).
Eastern Province Under-18 Academy: 15 Malan Volschenk (DF Malherbe), 14 Ushimen Pateni (Pearson), 13 Ronwyn Plaatjies (Humansdorp SS), 12 Siviwe Sanka (Daniël Pienaar), 11 Thando Zoleka (Ndzondelelo), 10 Clevan Laporte (Newton), 9 Jaco Grobler (Framesby), 8 Diego Abrahams (Newton), 7 Cornell du Preez (Framesby), 6 Darren Donley (Die Brandwag), 5 Wayne Lemley (Daniël Pienaar), 4 Nico Steenkamp (Otto du Plessis), 3 Zolani Faku (Grey), 2 Morné Blignaut (Cillie) (captain), 1 Derek Bosch (Otto du Plessis).
Reserves: 16 John Curtain (Framesby), 17 Louis de Jager (Nico Malan), 18 Quinton Bosman (Despatch), 19 Ronald Ferreira (Grey), 20 Miz Pienaar (Daniël Pienaar), 21 Danny Benjamin (Humansdorp SS), 22 Avanda Foley (Victoria Park).
Eastern Province Country Districts Under-18: 15 Akhona Matutu (Adelaide Gimnasium), 14 Ettiene Swarts (Cradock), 13 Hanro Louw (Marlow), 12 François van Straaten (Marlow), 11 James Price (St Andrew’s), 10 Roco Gouws (Marlow) (captain), 9 Garnett van Reiner (Gill), 8 Jerome Williams (Cradock), 7 Peet Coetzee (Marlow), 6 Erhard Terblanche (Marlow), 5 Grant Prior (St Andrew’s), 4 Chris du Randt (Marlow), 3 Jade Bowls (Graeme), 2 Adriaan de la Rey (Marlow), 1 Bernard Buchner (Marlow).
Reserves: 16 Wicus Deysel (Cradock), 17 Robin Murray (St Andrew’s), 18 Regan Makwena (Middelburg SS), 19 Liberatus Rara (Burgersdorp), 20 Mzukusi Nontoyi (Adelaide Gimnasium), 21 Brian Skozana (St Andrew’s), 22 Jamien Booysen (Gill)
Eastern Province Country Districts Under-18 Academy: 15 Philo Carelse (Burgersdorp), 14 Zuko Makhele (Aliwal-Noord), 13 Tosias van Zyl (Burgersdorp), 12 Masixole August (Adelaide Gimnasium), 11 Deswill van der Berg (Marlow), 10 Louis Grove (Aliwal-Noord), 9 Ryan Dugmore (St Andrew’s), 8 Jolly Crouse (Volkskool) (captain), 7 Ayabulela Matiso (Adelaide Gimnasium), 6 Clayton West (Cradock), 5 Ochse Lombaard (Cradock), 4 Snavuya Kethengana (Winterberg), 3 Ruben Hayward (Marlow), 2 Matthew Boot (Graeme), 1 Lewellen George (Volkskool).
Reserves: 16 Waynver Reeners (Middelburg SS), 17 Chris Stenekamp (Burgersdorp), 18 Jason Collet (Kingswood), 19 Christopher Stokwe (Jansenville), 20 Marcant Smith (Volkskool), 21 Ian Herold (St Andrew’s), 22 Alrico Fish (Marlow)
Eastern Province Under-16 Grant Khomo: 15 Ntisiki Mlamaleli (St Andrew’s), 14 Zuko Ndlcla (Grey), 13 Phillip Solomons (Daniël Pienaar), 12 Ruan Scheepers (Nico Malan), 11 Neo Mehlawana (Muir), 10 Marlou van Niekerk (Marlow), 9 Lithe Xoli (Kingswood), 8 Bennie Kitching (Marlow), 7 Jaco Bernardo (Framesby), 6 Ricky van Straaten (Marlow) (captain), 5 Neil Els (Grey), 4 Henfred Linde (Marlow), 3 Leon Strydom (Burgersdorp), 2 Liberty Nquwe (Newell), 1 Robin Williams (Alexander Road).
Reserves: 16 Frans Gerber (Daniël Pienaar), Jan Enslin (Grey), 18 Garth Plaatjies (Humansdorp SS), 19 Justin Benn (Daniël Pienaar), 20 JP Barendse (Andrew Rabie), 21 Malisa Ralawe (Westering), 22 Marco Gerber (Framesby).
