Outeniqua High School lock Eduard Zandberg will lead the SA Schools team in the final match of the SARU Under-18 International Series against England in Stellenbosch on Saturday.
The match will see the two remaining undefeated sides in the 2014 series face each other, while in other matches at Paul Roos Gymnasium’s Markötter Stadium, Italy will face a SARU Regional Academy XV and France will tussle with Wales.
SA Schools coach Hein Kriek and the national selectors made four changes to the side that overpowered Wales 40-15 at Outeniqua Park on Tuesday. Earlier in the series South Africa also beat France 28-13.
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Zandberg will be the third SA Schools captain of the series, after Jaco Coetzee (Glenwood HS, KZN) and Barend Smit (Middelburg THS, Pumas) took charge of the team in Cape Town and George respectively.
Eduard Zandberg
For the England match, Eastern Province and Grey High School utility back Curwin Bosch will start at fullback after playing at flyhalf in the opening match, while his halfback partner against the French, Transvalia’s Marco Janse van Vuuren, starts at scrumhalf.
In the pack, Grey HS flanker Junior Pokomela earns a first start after playing off the bench in George, while Garsfontein High School’s Jan-Henning Campher will start at hooker, as he did against France.
The SA Schools side did suffer some injuries, but according to Kriek, it was part of their broader planning.
“The idea was always to shuffle the team for the second match and then pick the best available team for England.
“We improved in each outing and we hope to be spot-on in our execution against a well-coached and very good England side,” Kriek said.
SA Schools team to play England Under-18 at 16:00 in Stellenbosch is: 15. Curwin Bosch (Grey HS, Eastern Province), 14. Andell Loubser (Menlo Park HS, Blue Bulls), 13. Heino Bezuidenhout (Daniel Pienaar HS, Eastern Province), 12. JT Jackson (Oakdale Agric, South Western Districts), 11. Keanu Vers (Grey HS, Eastern Province), 10. Thinus de Beer (Waterkloof HS, Blue Bulls), 9. Marco Janse van Vuuren (Transvalia HS, Valke), 8. Edmund Rheeder (Klerksdorp HS, Leopards), 7. Junior Pokomela (Grey HS, Eastern Province), 6. Arnold Gerber (Menlo Park HS, Blue Bulls), 5. Eduan Zandberg (Outeniqua HS, South Western Districts), 4. Aston Fortuin (Southdowns College, Blue Bulls), 3. Sarel-Marco Smith (Eldoraigne HS, Blue Bulls), 2. Jan-Henning Campher (Garsfontein HS, Blue Bulls), 1. Lupumlo Mguca (Daniel Pienaar HS, Eastern Province)
Replacements: 16. Le Roux Baard (Outeniqua HS, South Western Districts), 17. Ngonidzashe Chidoma (Northwood HS, KwaZulu-Natal), 18. Ig Prinsloo (Grey College, Free State), 19. Kobus Wiese (Upington HS, Griquas), 20. Victor Maruping (Louis Botha THS, Free State), 21. Embrose Papier (Garsfontein HS, Blue Bulls), 22. Eduan Keyter (Afrikaans Seuns HS, Blue Bulls), 23. Jerry Danquah (Queens College, Border).