SA Schools smash France
Big win in Pretoria
South African Schools beat the touring France Under-18 side 52-13 at Hoërskool Waterkloof in Pretoria on Tuesday. The South Africans scored eight tries to one.
After the controversy surrounding the selection of the SA Schools' side after the Craven Week in Bloemfontein, in particular because of the small number of Golden Lions players in the side, the performance of the team would have come as a relief to the selectors.
Paul Anthony, the coach of Pretoria Boys High, the Blue Bulls schools and SA Schools was a delighted man after the match. He said: "I am very happy. In the end we were man for man too strong for them, but there is still a lot of work for us ahead.
"We shall have to work on our defence and cleaning out at mauls."
Nothing much happened till Aubrey McDonald of Eastern Province ran in two brilliant tries in three minutes. SA school led 18-10 at half-time, but the second half was one-way traffic as halves Marlon Lewis of Eastern Province and André Smith of Western Province ran France ragged.
Flank Pieter Meyer and eighthman and captain Dewald Potgieter were outstanding for South Africa while try-scorer Yann David at outside centre and right-wing Khaled Zagar did well for France.
In previous encounters SA Schools beat France 36-15 in 2001 and then drew with them 23-23. In 2002 SA Schools won 12-3 and in 2003 27-22.
South African Schools play the South African Academy side at Securicor Loftus on Saturday in a curtainraiser to the first Tri-Nations match between South Africa and Australia.
Scorers:
For South African Schools:
Tries: Aubrey McDonald 2, Carlton Prinsloo 2, Christopher Micklewood, André Smith, Pieter Meyer, Vincent Gwavu
Cons: Micklewood 3
Pens: Micklewood 2
For France:
Try: Yann David
Pen: Berot
Pen: Erwan Berot
Drop: Benjamin Tardy
Teams:
South African Schools team: 15 Christopher Micklewood (KwaZulu Natal), 14 Aubrey McDonald (Eastern Province), 13 PJ Vermeulen (Griquas), 12 Stefan Watermeyer (Blue Bulls), 11 Rowan Walters (Griquas), 10 André Smith (Western Province), 9 Marlon Lewis (Eastern Province), 8 Dewald Potgieter (Eastern Province) (captain), 7 Pieter Meyer (Blue Bulls), 6 Conraad Britz (South Western Districts), 5 Giant Nkosi (Golden Lions), 4 Hendrik Roodt (Leopards), 3 Joseph Oosthuizen (Free State), 2 Divan Kapp (Pumas), 1 Zander de Kock (Falcons).
Replacements: 16 Edgar Marutlulle (Leopards), 17 Riacco Ellerd (Griquas), 18 Hans-Jurie Moolman (Pumas), 19 Vincent Gwavu (Eastern Province), 20 Mandilakhe Tile (Border), 21 Morné Jooste (Western Province), 22 Christopher Juries (Eastern Province)
The France Under-18 squad: Raphaël Olive (Narbonne), Nicolas Agnesi (Toulon), Antoine Gomez (Brive), Jordan Merle (Bourgoin), Erwan Iapteff (Grenoble), Kevin Kervarec (Toulon), Yoan Maestri (Toulon), Johan Vivalda (Agen), Anthony Cros (Brive), Bertrand Guiry (Perpignan), Romain Dibel (AC Boulogne-Billancourt), Ulysse Pena (Paris UC), Luc Bissuel (Auch), Jean Cazabat (Toulouse), Adrien Foucras (Castres), Anthony Giacobazzi (Toulon), Jérémy Arneau (Bayonne), Mathieu Belie (Toulouse), Morgan Parra (Dijon), Clément Imbert (La Seyne), David Capelle (Montpellier), Khaled Zagar (Toulon), Mathieu Basteraud (Massy), Charles Gimenez (Toulouse), Yann David (Bourgoin), Bastien Fitte (Bordeaux-Bègles), Erwan Berot (Auch), Jonathan Bousquet (Béziers).
Referee: Michael Cupido (Golden Lions)