Eastern Province Pick Five Teams

Eastern Province Schools have chosen three teams for the Craven Week at HTS Middelburg (13-19 July), the Academy Week in Wellington (6-10 July) and the Grant Khomo Week in Pretoria 6-10 July).

There are two Craven Week and two Academy Week teams because Eastern Province has two teams in each -0 the Eastern Province team which chooses from school in the coastal strip from Uitenhage to Humansdorp and the Eastern Province Country Districts team which chooses from the rest of Eastern Province.

The Grant Khomo team is chosen from the whole of the Eastern Province.

There are nine players who have been to Craven Week before – seven in the Eastern Province said and two in the Eastern Province Country Districts side.

Those in the Eastern Province side are Erich de Jager, Keanu Vers who was a wing in 2011, Jeremy Ward, who was on the bench in 2013 and Johann van Niekerk the captain, who was also on the bench. Two of last year's starting team are replacements this year – Kaden Prins and Morney Moos.

Eastern Province Country Districts had Luigy van Jaarsveld at Craven Week last year with Johannes Viljoen on the bench.

An obvious omission from the Country Districts teams are St Andrew's players. One of them, centre Robert Ball, was at last year's Craven Week. The problem is that St Andrew's is a three-term school and this year Easter was late and Craven Week is later (the second week of July instead of the usual first week. The result is that St Andrew's will be writing its preliminary exams while Craven Week is on and the school took the decision not to make its players available for Craven Week.  Allan Miles, the director of rugby at St Andrew's, does not have to sit exams and so he is free to coach the Craven Week side.

The Teams

Eastern Province Craven Week team: 15. Keanu Vers (Grey),  14. Athi Mayinje (Grey),  13. Jeremy Ward (Grey), 12. Heino Bezuidenhout (Daniël Pienaar), 11. Darren Lottering (Humansdorp SS), 10. Curwin Bosch (Grey), 9. Rouche Nel (Framesby), 8. Sipathu Pokamela (Grey), 7. Johan van Niekerk (captain) (Grey), 6. SF Nieuwoudt (Framesby), 5. Wihan Coetzer (Framesby), 4. Stephan Janse van Vuuren (Die Brandwag), 3. Erich de Jager (Die Brandwag), 2. Alandré van Rooyen (Nico Malan), 1. Lupumlo Mguca (Daniël Pienaar),

Replacements: 16. Robin Stevens (Grey), 17. Kaden Prince (Die Brandwag), 18. Roche van Zyl (Framesby), 19. Morney Moos (Die Brandwag), 20. Nathan Augustus (Pearson), 21. Tiaan Stander (Framesby), 22. Lunathi Nxele (Muir)

Coaches:  Louis Gerber (Framesby), Pedro Somerset (Arcadia), Christiaan van Schalkwyk (Die Brandwag)

Eastern Province Academy Week team: 14. Nkosi Ntebe (Pearson),  13. Tiaan Lourens (Framesby), 12. Malan Marais (Framesby), 11. Mohammed Connely (Grey),  10. Denver Klue (captain) (Daniël Pienaar), 9. Luciano Grootboom (Daniël Pienaar),  8. Dean van der Westhuizen (Nico Malan),  7. Xolisa Matshoba (Pearson), 6. Duan du Plessis (Daniël Pienaar), 5. Micheal de Marco (Grey), 4. Kamva Dilima (Grey),  3. Siwe Masoziwe (Newton), 2. André Lategan (Framesby), 15. Duwayne Baartman (Pearson),  1. Luthando Fini (Pearson),  

Replacements: 16. Joshua Mudrovcic (Grey),  17. Mathew Howes (Grey),  18. Pierre Janicke (Nico Malan),  19. Mihlali Mosi (Muir), 20. Yomalela Keswa (Muir), 21. Darren Domingo (Nico Malan), 22. Garrick Mattheus (Grey)

Coaches: Jaco Jansen van Rensburg (Pearson), Johan du Toit , Siswe Kobese.

 Eastern Province Country Districts Craven Week team: 15. B Christian (Graeme College), 14. F Mapaling (Graeme College), 13. D Cameron (Kingswood),  12. C Hertz (Kingswood), 11. K Ansa (Union High), 10. J Shelly (Kingswood), 9. C Williams (Graeme College), 8. L van Jaasveld (captain) (Marlow),  7. E Joubert (Gill), 6. I Strauss (Volkskool Graaff-Reinet), 5. P Crouse (Volkskool Graaff-Reinet), 4. H Viljoen (Marlow), 3. NJ Oosthuizen (Marlow), 2. A le Roux (Marlow),  1. X Vos (Graeme College),

Replacements:  16. JP Barkhuizen (Port Alfred), 17. MC van Damme (BKS), 18. M Mboxwana (Cradock), 19. E September (Graeme College), 20. R Calitz (Graeme College), 21. T van Solms (Volkskool Graaff-Reinet), 22. J Twum-Boafo (Graeme College),  

Coaches: Allan Miles (St Andrew's, John de Vos, Gert van Wyk

Eastern Province Country Districts Academy Week team: 15. W Meaker (Gill), 14. S Mkaza (Itembelihle), 13. Siya Siaw (Graeme College), 12. G Blom (Middelburg SS), 11. G Flitoor (Burgersdorp), 10. J Lourens (Marlow), 9. A Nkothani (Burgersdorp), 8. D Louw (Volkskool Graaff-Reinet), 7. L Thabaneng (Middelburg), 6. R Kruger (Gill), 5. F van der Westhuizen (captain) (Kingswood), 4. A Cumming (Middelburg), 3. A de Beer (Volkskool Graaff-Reinet), 2. Z Mpalisa (Aliwal North), 1. S Vulindlu (Cradock),

Replacements: 16. F Jordaan (Gill), 17. M Ferreira (Marlow), 18. K Tiya (Burgersdorp), 19. F Roodt (Marlow), 20. L Makinani (Union High), 21. A van Ster (Middelburg SS), 22. C Nel (Burgersdorp),

Coaches: Neil Schroeder, Damien Aarends, Owen Stride

Eastern Province Grant Khomo team: 15. Henco Pieterse (Daniël Pienaar),  14. Ceaser Lewis (Volkskool Graaff-Reinet),  13. Siya Njezula (Grey), 12. Sibu Mzanywa (Kingswood), 11. Lance Smith (Humansdorp SS), 10. Malan Olivier (Die Brandwag),  9. Eathan Jantjies (Newton), 8. Tertius Groenewald (captain) (Grey), 7. Ollie Losaba (Kingswood), 6. Pieter Gunter (Daniël Pienaar), 5. Connor Thalrose (Grey), 4. William Duckit (Framesby), 3. Ewan Pieters (Kingswood), 2. Shane Kluyts (Kirkwood), 1. Thembi Mangwana (Kingswood),

Replacements:  16. Herman Gizler (Die Brandwag), 17. Sazi Sandi (St Andrew's), 18. Rikus van As (Despatch), 19. Ruben le Roux (Framesby), 20. Bendré Jonck (Nico Malan), 21. Vaughen Isaacs (Marlow), 22. Athi Halom (Kingswood),

Coaches: Derik Olivier (Marlow), Sebastian Hilpert, Xola Lupuwana