Youth Internationals get it on
England, France, Italy and Wales have sent out their teams and will join with South African Schools and South African Schools A in a tournament in which each team will play three matches in the Western Province.
It is winter in the Cape - those beautifully cloudless, still, comfortably warm days showing off the majesty of mountain, sea and field. It's a great time to be at the Cape - if the rain holds off.
The first round of matches will be played at City Park in Athlone, a ground inaugurated in 1962 after City & Suburban Union's ground in Mowbray had been expropriated.
The second round will be played at the Diocesan College (Bishops) in Rondebosch, the school at which handling football was first played in South Africa in 1862.
The third round will be played at Paarl Boys' High whose 1st XV is ranked first on the FNB Top 20.
This is the second year that the same four overseas visitors have joined with the SA Schools and SA Schools A side for a tournament. Previously it was labelled an Under-18 tournament. This year it is labelled Under-19 though the SA Schools teams, England and Wales will be Under-18, France refer to themselves as Under-19 and Italy Under-20.
Previous Results
2015
England vs France, 18-7
England vs SA Schools A, 33-8
France vs Italy, 25-17
SA Schools vs England, 23-16
SA Schools vs France, 12-5
SA Schools vs Wales, 42-11
SA Schools A vs Italy, 29-14
SA Schools A vs Wales, 20-20
Wales vs Italy, 32-10
France and Italy had two warm-up matches against a pick-up team from the players who went to the Academy Week and players from the Institute. The nature of the matches was essentially a form of practice but France won 71-27 and Italy won 33-29.
How the teams will match much is largely a matter of conjecture, though earlier this year France beat Italy 17-14, England and France drew 26-all. At Under-18 France beat England, drew with Italy and lost to Wales.
Teams
England: 15 Ali Crossdale (Sedbergh, Saracens), 14 Tom Parton (Wellington College, London Irish), 13 Matt Williams (Wellington College London Irish), 12 Jacob Umaga (Wyggeston & QEI College, Wasps), 11 Levi Davis (Denstone, Leicester Tigers), 10 James Grayson (Moulton, Northampton Saints), 9 Rory Brand (Wellington College, London Irish), 8 Tom Willis (The Henley College, Wasps), 7 Tom Curry (Oundle, Sale Sharks), 6 Josh Bayliss (Millfield, Bath), 5 Josh Williams (Hartlepool, Newcastle Falcons), 4 Ted Hill (Worcester College,(Worcester Warriors), 3 Ciaran Knight St Peter's, Gloucester), 2 Jamie Blamire (Gosforth Academy, Newcastle Falcons), 1 Alex Seville (Hartpury, Gloucester)
Replacements: 16 Henry Walker (Bromsgrove, Gloucester), 17 Jarod Leat (St Pauls Catholic College, Wasps), 18 Ehren Painter (Felsted, Northampton Saints), 19 Dino Lamb-Cona (Cranleigh, Harlequins), 20 Sam Moore (Sedbergh, Sale Sharks), 21 Ben Curry (Oundle, Sale Sharks), 22 Harry Simmons (Greshams, Leicester Tigers), 23 Ben Loader (Wellington College, London Irish), 24 Gabriel Ibitoye (Trinity, Harlequins)
France: 15 Jules Even (Biarritz), 14 Lucas Tharin (Narbonne), 13 Julien Delbouis (Massy Essonne), 12 Pierre Louis Barassi (Lyon), 11 Iban Etcheverry (Bayonne), 10 Romain Ntamack (Toulouse), 9 Enzo Hardy (Narbonne), 8 Adrien Vigne (Béziers), 7 Baptiste Heguy (Bayonne), 6 Cameron Woki (Massy Essonne), 5 Pierre-Henri Azagoh Kouadio (Massy Essonne), 4 Killian Geraci (Grenoble), 3 Daniel Brennan (Toulouse) (captain), 2 Teddy Baubigny (Racing 92), 1 Hassane Kolingar (Racing 92)
Replacements: 16 Maxime Lamothe (Bordeaux-Bègles), 17 Ugo Boniface (Bayonne), 18 Simon-Pierre Chauvac (Brive), 19 Walid Maamry (Toulon), 20 Alexandre Coing (Grenoble), 21 Adrien Jozroland (Racing 92), 22 Jules Gimbert (Bordeaux), 23 Clément Laporte (Agen), 24 Adrien Seguret, 25 Dorian Clerc (Albi), 26 Maxime Marty (Toulouse)
Italy: 15 Massimo Cioffi (Benevento), 14 Giovanni D’Onofrio (Benevento), 13 Ludovico Vaccari (Ur Capitolina), 12 Dario Schiabel (San Donà), 11 Yannick Abanga (Perpignan), 10 Antonio Rizzi (Mogliano), 9 Federico Gubana (Benetton Treviso), 8 Giovanni Licata (Miraglia), 7 Lorenzo Masselli (Accademia FIR) (captain), 6 Jacopo Bianchi (I Medicei), 5 Edoardo Iachizzi (Perpignan), 4 Niccolò Cannone (Florentia), 3 Giosuè Zilocchi (Elephant), 2 Marco Manfredi (San Donà), 1 Danilo Fischetti (UR Capitolina)
Replacements: 16 Massimo Ceciliani (Delebio), 17 Matteo Luccardi (Colorno), 18 Michele Mancini-Parri (I Medicei), 19 Nicola Pomaro (Rovigo), 20 Michele Lamaro (Primavera), 21 Nardo Casolari (L’Aquila), 22 Giovanni Lucchin (Rovigo), 23 Michelangelo Biondelli (Rovigo), 24 Marco Zanon (Mogliano), 25 Niccolò Mori (ASR Milano), 26 Simone Cornelli (ASR Milano)
SA Schools: 15 Gianni Lombard (Paarl Boys' High, Western Province), 14 Mike Mavovana (Rondebosch, Western Province), 13 Wandisile Simelane (Jeppe, Golden Lions), 12 Rikus Pretorius, 11 Sihle Njezula (Grey PE, Eastern Province), 10 Damian Willemse(Paul Roos, Western Province), 9 Rewan Kruger (Grey Bloem, Free State), 8 Khanya Ncusane (Paarl Boys' High, Western Province), 7 Muller Uys (Paarl Gym, Western Province), 6 Charl Serdyn (Paarl Boys' High, Western Province), 5 PJ Steenkamp (Garsfontein, Blue Bulls), 4 Salmaan Moerat (captain) (Paarl Boys' High, Western Province), 3 Sazi Sandi (St Andrew's, Eastern Province Country Districts), 2 PJ Botha (Monument, Golden Lions), 1 Nathan McBeth (Monument, Golden Lions).
Replacements: 16 Daniel Jooste (Paarl Boys' High, Western Province), 17 Reece Bezuidenhout (Paarl Boys' High, Western Province), 18 Johan Neethling (Paarl Boys' High, Western Province), 19 Ben-Jason Dixon (Paul Roos, Western Province), 20 JC Pretorius (HTS Middelburg Pumas), 21 Richman Gora (Welkom Gymnasium, Griffons), 22 Ruan de Swardt (Affies, Blue Bulls), 23 Manuel Rass (Paarl Boys' High, Western Province), 24 Muller du Plessis (Paarl Gym, Western Province), 25 Emilio Adonis (Garsfontein, Blue Bulls), 26 Khwezi Mafu (Grey PE, Eastern Province).
SA School A: 15 Abner van Reenen (Garsfontein, Blue Bulls), 14 Austin Davids (Garsfontein, Blue Bulls), 13 Louritz van der Schyff (captain) (Affies, Blue Bulls), 12 Sicelo Tole (Muir, Eastern Province), 11 Cameron Hufke, 10 Lubabalo Dobela (Grey PE, Eastern Province), 9 Sanele Nohamba (DHS, KwaZulu Natal), 8 Jessie Johnson (Paul Roos, Western Province), 7 Mark Snyman (Helpmekaar, Golden Lions), 6 Athi Magwala (Boland Landbou, Western Province), 5 Christopher Havenga (Monument, Golden Lions), 4 Jaco van Tonder (Grey Bloem, Free State), 3 Mornay Smith (Eldoraigne, Blue Bulls), 2 Dylan Richardson (Kearsney, KZN), 1 Gugu Nelani (Northwood, KwaZulu Natal)
Replacements: 16 Schalk Erasmus (Affies, Blue Bulls), 17 Cabous Eloff (Affies, Blue Bulls), 18 Keagan Glade (KES, Golden Lions), 19 JJ van der Mescht (Glenwood, KwaZulu Natal), 20 Ryno Pieterse (Garsfontein, Blue Bulls), 21 Dian Schoonees (Grey Bloem, Free State), 22 Zinedine Booysen (Oakdale, South Western Districts), 23 Tyrone Green (Jeppe, Golden Lions), 24 Tadendaishe Mujawo (St Benedict’s, Golden Lions), 25 Janco van Heyningen (Grey Bloem, Free State), 26 Ayabonga Oliphant (Grey PE, Eastern Province).
Wales: Will Talbot-Davies (Solihull School, Dragons), Corey Baldwin (Llandovery College, Scarlets), Cameron Lewis (Coleg y Cymoedd, Cardiff Blues), Ben Thomas (St Peter's, Cardiff Blues), Jared Rosser (Newport High School, Dragons), Phil Jones (Gowerton, Ospreys), Dane Blacker (Coleg y Cymoedd, Cardiff Blues); Rhys Carre (Cowbridge Comprehensive, Cardiff Blues), Corrie Tarrant (Coleg y Cymoedd, Cardiff Blues), Christian Coleman (Newport High School, Dragons), James Ratti (Gower College, Ospreys), Callum Bradbury (Coleg y Cymoedd, Cardiff Blues) (captain), James Botham (Sedbergh, Cardiff Blues), Will Jones (Gower College, Ospreys), Morgan Morris (Hartpury College, Gloucester)
Replacements: Tom Mably (Coleg y Cymoedd, Cardiff Blues), Connor Lewis (Coleg y Cymoedd, Cardiff Blues), Harri Dobbs (Cowbridge Comprehensive, Cardiff Blues), Jordan Liney (Hartpury College, Ospreys), William Griffiths (Gowerton, Ospreys), Joe Thomas (Coleg Gwent Cross Keys, Dragons), Owain Leonard (Abergavenny/ Ysgol Gyfun Gwynllyw, Dragons), Ben Jones (Treharris/ Coleg y Cymoedd, Cardiff Blues), Ryan Conbeer (Coleg Sir Gar, Scarlets)
The Fixtures
All the matches will be televised live on Supersport, channel 201.
Friday, August 12 at City Park Stadium, Cape Town
12.00: England vs France
13.30: SA Schools A vs Italy
15.00: SA Schools vs Wales
Tuesday, August 16 at Bishops
13.00: Wales vs Italy
14.30: SA Schools A vs England
16.00: SA Schools vs France
Saturday, August 20 at Paarl Boys' High
11.15: France vs Italy
12.45: SA Schools A vs Wales
14.15: SA Schools vs England
Match Officials
Apart from overseas teams there are, as there were last year, two overseas referees - Adam Jones of Wales and Matthew O'Grady of England. Jones referees Premiership rugby in Wales, O'Grady Championship rugby in England.
Round 1
France vs England
Referee: Egon Seconds (South Africa)
Assistant referees: Nathan Barry (South Africa), Sinethemba Mrulwa (South Africa)
Television match official: Joey Klaaste-Salmans (South Africa)
Assessor: Willie Roos (South Africa)
SA Schools A vs Italy
Referee: Adam Jones (Wales)
Assistant referees: Nathan Swartz (South Africa), Gabriel Chirnoga (Italy)
Television match official: Joey Klaaste-Salmans (South Africa)
Assessor: Dennis Immelman (South Africa)
SA Schools vs Wales
Referee: Matthew O'Grady (England)
Assistant referees: Egon Seconds (South Africa), Nathan Barry (South Africa)
Television match official: Joey Klaaste-Salmans (South Africa)