SA Schools & Academy sides announced

The South African Schools and South African Academy sides have been announced on Saturday. They will play at Newlands on 21 July as a curtainraiser to the match between Western Province and the Blue Bulls.

Scrumhalf Rudy Paige, the captain of the Golden Lions, will captain the SA Schools team while eighthman Christiaan Stander, the captain of South Western Districts, will captain the Academy side.

Two unusual omissions from the side are the flyhalves Justin Botha of the Golden Lions who played for South African Schools last year and Francois Brummer of the Blue Bulls who played for South Africa Under-19 this year.

Beating the Academy side is not a foregone conclusion. In the past the Academy has turned tables on the Schools side.

The SA Schools' capping ceremony is scheduled for Friday evening at the Markotter Stadium, Stellenbosch.

SA Schools: 15 Patrick Lambie (KwaZulu Natal), 14 Riaan Arendse (Eastern Province), 13 Earl Snyman (South Western Districts), 12 Robert Ebersohn (Free State), 11 Ompile Marotothe (Blue Bulls), 10 Marnitz Boshoff (Pumas), 9 Rudy Paige (Golden Lions), 8 Nicolas Koster (Western Province), 7 Roelof Pienaar (Free State), 6 Marnus Schoeman (Blue Bulls), 5 Cornell Hess (Blue Bulls), 4 Marchand van Rooyen (Golden Lions), 3 Julian Redelinghuys (Golden Lions), 2 Johan Oberholzer (Golden Lions), 1 Dale Chadwick (KwaZulu Natal).

Replacements: 16 Sibi Masina (Pumas), 17 Coenraad Oosthuizen (Free State), 18 Kene Ockafor (KwaZulu Natal), 19 Moeka Bolofo (Free State), 20 Kelvano King (Eastern Province), 21 Yondela Stampu (Blue Bulls), 22 Hadley Smith (Free State)

SA Academy: 15 Damien Janse van Rensburg (Golden Lions), 14 Alec Mhlanga (Limpopo Blue Bulls), 13 Bongi Luvuno (Pumas), 12 Simphiwe Mtimkulu (Blue Bulls), 11 Blake Mecuur (Golden Lions), 10 Josias Ebersohn (Free State), 9 Ross Cronje (Kwazulu Natal), 8 Christiaan Stander (South Western Districts), 7 Wimpie van der Walt (Pumas), 6 Byron Booysen (Griquas), 5 Meiring de Clerq (Pumas), 4 Mlungisi Bali (Blue Bulls), 3 Peet Vorster (Blue Bulls), 2 Frank Herne (Free State), 1 Caylib Oosthuizen (South Western Districts).

Replacements: 16 Martin Bezuindenhout (Leopards), 17 Trevor Nyakane (Limpopo Blue Bulls), 18 Pieter Labuschagne (Free State), 19 Tendayi Chikukwa (Blue Bulls), 20 Justin Claassen (Griffons), 21 Itaello Cupido (Eastern Province), 22 Deon Helberg (Pumas)