Schoeman leads SA Schools
Blue Bulls prop Pierre Schoeman will captain the South African Schools team in three internationals next month.
SARU on Saturday announced the SA Schools squad of 28, after a set of trial matches at the Barnard Stadium in Kempton Park.
The squad was selected from an initial group of 50 players chosen after the recent Under-18 Craven Week in Port Elizabeth.
The SA Schools team will play in three internationals against European opposition in August – when they face the Under-18 teams of England, Wales and France.
The powerful Blue Bulls prop, Schoeman, who was chosen for SA Schools last year, is the captain and SA Under-20 flyhalf Handré Pollard the vice-captain.
Remarkably there is nobody from Grey College of Bloemfontein in the team.
There are four players from Affies, three from Kearney, two each from Waterkloof, Centurion, Outeniqua and Paarl Gim and one each from Maritzburg College, Ben Vorster Grey of PE, Dale, Daniël Pienaar, Overberg, Hugenote, Drostdy, KES and Paul Roos.
SA Schools international fixtures:
10 August: SA Schools vs France in Wellington
14 August: SA Schools vs Wales in George
18 August: SA Schools vs England
The SA Schools squad:
Forwards: Aidon Davis (Daniël Pienaar, Eastern Province), Daniel du Preez (Kearsney, KwaZulu-Natal), Jean-Luc du Preez (Kearsney, KwaZulu-Natal), Francois Esterhuizen (Overberg, Boland), Nicolaas Janse van Rensburg (Affies, Blue Bulls), Gideon Koegelenberg (Hugenote, Boland), Wilco Louw (Drostdy, Boland), Thabo Mabuza (Centurion, Blue Bulls), Malcolm Marx (KES, Golden Lions), Ox Nche (Louis Botha, Free State), Abongile Nonkontwana (St Alban's, Blue Bulls), JD Schickerling (Paarl Gim, Western Province), Pierre Schoeman (Affies, Blue Bulls) (captain), Chad Solomon (Paul Roos, Western Province), Dayan van der Westhuizen (Centurion, Blue Bulls), Jano Venter (HTS Middelburg, Pumas).
Backs: Ryno Eksteen (Affies, Blue Bulls), Warrick Galant (Outeniqua, SWD), Rohan Janse van Rensburg (Waterkloof, Blue Bulls), Jesse Kriel (Maritzburg College, KwaZulu-Natal), Sandile Khubeka (Kearsney, KwaZulu-Natal), Jurie Linde (Affies, Blue Bulls), Matjikinyane Molapo (Ben Vorster, Limpopo), Sergeal Petersen (Grey, Eastern Province), Justin Phillips (Waterkloof, Blue Bulls), Handré Pollard (Paarl Gim, Western Province) (vice-captain), Akhona Sihunu (Dale, Border), Duhan van der Merwe (Outeniqua, SWD).
Team manager: David Coert (Boland)
Head coach: Chris October (Western Province)
