Let’s be clear about one thing: Beating an England rugby side at any level, including their national schools’ side, is not to be sneezed at.
That’s what happened on Tuesday evening when the School Boks convincingly beat their England counterparts 39-14 at Paarl Boys’ High – and already pundits are talking about this SA Schools team and their future Springboks.
Nonsense!
History shows that very few of the SA Schools sides over the last 20 years or so have contributed greatly to the national Springboks side. And also, although the Craven Week tournaments produce exciting rugby of good quality, perhaps the best at this level in the world, statistics point to the fact that the bulk of international players didn’t play for the SA Schools side and other not even in the Craven Week provincial sides.
Have a look at the following:
- There were only 12 players with SA Schools caps who played in the 2023 World Cup where 34 Springboks won the second consecutive Webb Ellis Cup.
What’s more, their total SA Schools caps (15, of which three were earned by double schools’ internationals Handré Pollard, captain in both years, Damian Willemse and Ox Nché) were spread over a period of nine years from Jesse Kriel in 2008 to Jaden Hendrikse in 2017.
- There were nine players who played at Craven Weeks between 2003 and 2017 but didn’t make the SA Schools side who played at the 2023 World Cup. Deon Fourie (2003 Craven Week) was the oldest non-SA Schools player in France last year.
(Strangely, eight of the nine players who played Craven Week rugby but didn’t make the SA Schools side were forwards, André Esterhuizen being the exception – and conversely nine of the 13 players who never played Craven Week rugby, were backs.)
SA Schools Players and Craven Week (12)
2008 Jesse Kriel
2009 Siya Kolisi, Frans Malherbe, Bongo Mbonambi
2010 Steven Kitshoff
2012 Malcolm Marx, Handré Pollard (SA Schools captain, two consecutive years)
2013 Ox Nché (two caps), RG Snyman
2015 Damian Willemse, Manie Libbok
2017 Jaden Hendrikse
Craven Week only, NO SA Schools caps (9 players)
(All are forwards except André Esterhuizen)
André Esterhuizen
Duane Vermeulen
Jasper Wiese
Pieter-Steph du Toit
Deon Fourie
Eben Etzebeth
Trevor Nyakane
Vincent Koch
Kwagga Smith
No Craven Week or SA Schools (13 players)
(All are backs)
Willie le Roux
Cheslin Kolbe
Makazole Mapimpi
Kurt-Lee Arendse
Canan Moodie
Damian de Allende
Faf de Klerk
Cobus Reinach
Grant Williams
Marco van Staden
Marvin Orie
Franco Mostert
Jean Kleyn
