The selectors and coaches are hard at work in search of the best combinations to represent the Eastern Province schools on the rugby field this year.
This coming Friday and Saturday, the selection process reaches a crucial stage when the annual Meyer Sauerman matches are being played.
“About 90 u18 players and 60 u16s will be in action on the two days at Mentorskraal (Jeffreys Bay),” the secretary of the EP High Schools Rugby Association, Fenner Barnard, said.
After these matches, the selectors will have a very good idea of what the EP teams will look like.
The indications are that it is going to be a huge challenge for EP to compete with the top dogs this year.
The talent is there in the province, but the selectors will probably have to spread the net wide to find their best combinations.
This past Saturday was another exciting one at the rugby fields of Nelson Mandela Bay with plenty of action-packed encounters.
Conditions weren’t easy, with most matches being played in a strong wind. Still the spectators were treated to entertaining rugby, not always of a high quality, but certainly entertaining.
The highlight was the Grey High Reunion Weekend in Gqeberha when the home side resumed their rivalry with the Cape Town visitors, Wynberg High.
Wynberg dominated the first half in front of a huge crowd. Poor discipline from Grey didn’t help their cause, and Wynberg were looking pretty solid at halftime, leading 20-7.
Playing with the wind in the second stint Grey fought back strongly, only trailing by three points at one stage.
In the end Wynberg did enough to win 32-27, with both sides scoring four tries apiece.
This was only Wynberg’s sixth victory in the 26 matches between these sides since this Derby started in 1996.
Pearson hosted Nico Malan from Humansdorp in another hard-fought battle in Summerstrand.
After leading 10-5 at the break, Nico Malan secured victory by 18-10. It was a match with spectacular moments but also many unforced errors from both teams.
Nico Malan put Pearson under pressure at scrum time and defended solidly.
The visitors, always bordering on the offside line, put in some really big hits.
For Pearson, it was a match of missed opportunities. Poor handling and passing at crucial stages ruined their chances of pulling this one out of the fire.
Selected results
Nico Malan 18, Pearson 12; Punt 24, Daniel Pienaar 24; Framesby 46, Hudson Park 21; Otto du Plessis 43, Despatch 15; Wynberg 32, Grey 27; Brandwag 19, Kingswood 7.
