SA Schools win scrappy game
South African Schools beat France Under-18 by 28-13 in a scrappy match at a windy City Park in Cape Town on Friday.
The wind may have spoilt things, but did not altogether explain the poor handling, ball lost in the tackle, wobbly scrums which included five free kicks in 15 scrums and 18 penalties.
The wind did affect the tactics in an odd way.
In the first half SA schools, mainly their flyhalf Curwin Bosch, kicked into – the wind, especially in the first part of the half.
Players like Eduan Keyter, Andell Loubsher and Jerry Danquah were keen to run, but Bosch kicked and his team suffered.
In the second half, with the wind at his back, Bosch was a different player – in control of the situation, giving his backs a chance to run.
His best moment in the first half was the brilliant creation of a try.
South Africa scrummed better than their opponents and won a tighthead.
France competed well at the line-outs but found throwing-in a problem in the second half.
France suffered a loss right at the start of the match when fullback Clément Buros ran and was heavily tackled by Edmund Rheeder. He was replaced, much to his disappointment, by Dorian Laborde.
South Africa lost captain Jaco Coetzee at a tackle late in the half and he was replaced by Upington's Kobus Wiese, who is apparently no obvious relation to the Springbok lock of the same name. Rheeder then moved to No.8.
France had lost the toss and kicked off with the wind. South Africa licked into the wind, which suited the French – whose lively scrumhalf Antoine Dupont was brilliant in all facets of scrumhalf play.
It was his break that set France attacking and he finished it off by darting under the posts. 7-0 after seven minutes.
France attacked at the SA 22 but knocked on into the hands of Andell Loubsher. The wing raced away from would-be tacklers down the right. He gave inside to Eduan Keyter who gave back to Loubsher who scored a brilliant try. 7-all after 11 minutes.
Anthony Belleau broke brilliantly with great stepping and when South Africa were penalised he goaled. 10-7 after 19 minutes.
From a turnover France attacked again and Dupont was held up over the line giving them a five-metre scrum from which they bashed and then went wide left. The defence was organised and when they came right again Belleau snapped over a drop. 13-7 after 27 minutes.
The siren had gone for half-time when South Africa dispossessed a Frenchman and Bosch broke brilliantly on an angle towards the French 22. At the perfect time he gave a perfect inside pass to outside centre Barend Smith who raced over for the try.
That made South Africa somewhat surprising 14-13 leaders at the break.
South Africa attacked early in the second half, bashing away at the French line, which, bravely, they held. When France were penalised, South Africa tapped and bashed again. That died when the ball was passed into touch. However, from a free kick against France South Africa bashed again and the TMO confirmed that massive Jaco Willemse had scored a try. 21-13 after 44 minutes.
France were now chasing the game and kicked a penalty out for a five-metre line-out where they tried something 'clever' at the front but failed to throw the ball in five metres.
France went through phases but did not really threaten the South African defence. In fact their best bit of play was a break-out by wing Timothée Haw.
On the South African left, the referee played advantage for a French knock-on and the ball went wide to Loubsher who had an overlap on the right wing and he raced ahead, swerved inside and scored his second try
The teams now move to George where South Africa play Wales on Tuesday.
Scorers:
For SA Schools
Tries: Loubsher 2, Smit, Willemse
Cons: Bosch 4
For France:
Try: Dupont
Con: Belleau
Pen: Belleau
DG: Belleau
Teams
SA Schools: 15 Eduan Keyter, 14 Andell Loubsher, 13 Barend Smit, 12 JT Jackson, 11 Jerry Danquah, 10 Curwin Bosch, 9 Marko Janse van Vuuren, 8 Jaco Coetzee (captain), 7 Victor Maruping, 6 Edmund Rheeder, 5 Eduard Zandberg, 4 Jaco Willemse, 3 Ignatius Prinsloo, 2 Jan-Henning Campher, 1 Ngonidzashe Chidoma.
Replacements: 16 Le Roux Baard, 17 Lupumlo Mguca, 18 Sarel-Marco Smit, 19 Ashton Fortuin, 20 Kobus Wiese, 21 Embrose Papier, 22 Thinus de Beer, 23 Keanu Vers.
France U18: 15 Clément Buros, 14 Timothée Haw, 13 Eliott Roudil, 12 Louis Fajfrowski, 11 Karim Qadiri, 10 Anthony Belleau, 9 Antoine Dupont, 8 Anthony Jelonch, 7 Judicael Cancoriet (captain), 6 Boris Palu, 5 Théo Hannoyer, 4 Florian Verhaeghe, 3 Michaël Simutoga, 2 Yann de Fauverge, 1 Clément Castets.
Replacements: 16 Emerick Setiano, 17 Florian Dufour, 18 Hugo Pirlet, 19 Guillaume Ducat, 20 Pierre Raynaud, 21 Christophe Kaiser, 22 Franck Pourteau, 23 Dorian Laborde.
Referee: Robert Price (Wales)
Assistant referees: Jamie Leahy, Sam Brown
