The Craven Week at Rondebosch has been excellent, with a lot of high quality rugby on show and some strong individual performances. The week will culminate in a mouth watering North/South clash as the hosts Western Province play the Blue Bulls at 13:30 on Saturday. All the games on the main field on Saturday will be engrossing, especially with some scores to be settled based on the national selections.
The SA Schools and SA Schools A teams have been announced, and the selections are largely agreeable, with some bolters off the back of good showings this week, which is how it should be. With the SuperSport Schools App making schoolboy rugby ubiquitous this year, there is no logic in picking boys based on only one and a half games in a week. It is great that there is still space for a guy like Max du Pisani from Nico Malan and EP, to have a good week and get national recognition. It is clear that these sides had already been selected before the week. An example of this is Caleb Abrahams, the Grey Bloem and Free State, who has had a miserable week behind a pack that has been under pressure.
The weather looks good for the final day and the rugby should be attractive from start to finish. In fact, the action on the Tinkie Heyns Field promises to outdo the international tests down under.
09:00 – WP XV v Free State
Free State are fortunate to get on the main field on Saturday after losing both their games, and it will be interesting to see if they can finally put a cohesive performance together. JF van Heerden, their lock, is one of the Grey College players who have been exposed this week. His ill discipline costing his side against the Lions on Thursday, but his inability to run a lineout has perhaps been more striking. There were a lot of arms being thrown in the air on Thursday when they were getting beaten by the Lions and if things don’t go well from the start on Saturday they could deliver their worst Craven Week ever, despite the number of boys who have made the national A and B sides.
The WP XV suffered a surprise defeat to Border, having been so impressive in their first game against Boland. They home side have a number of exceptional players and hopefully scrumhalf Aiden Muller gets a full go as he looks to inject pace and energy into the game, like he did in his cameo on Wednesday against Border. Star centre Jurenzo Julius didn’t take part in their captain’s run and this may allow the team to focus on cohesion rather than a moment of magic. If the pack can get parity in the set piece their backline could open up this Free State defence.
If I was Danio Botha, the Paarl Gim and WP XV lock, I would mention their win over Grey College to van Heerden and then let him try and fight the boxing champion all game, not that he would have the courage to do so.
Prediction: WP XV
10:30 – Lions v Border
Border have perhaps been the surprise package of the week. The Border schools haven’t been particularly strong this year but they have managed to assemble an abrasive pack who hasn’t taken a backward step in their encounters with the two WP sides, winning one and losing one. Their loose trio has been outstanding, especially at the breakdown and in the carry and they will fancy themselves against another strong pack that the Lions bring. The kickoffs from flyhalf van Wyk have been worth their weight in gold and if he can get the guys outside him away, the men from the Eastern Cape could wrap up a brilliant week.
The Lions will be bouyed following their win over Free State, and have a number of SA representatives who are bound to be full of confidence for their final game.
The Lions were clinical on Thurday and will need to replicate that on Saturday if they are to end on a high. The extra day off may be the decisive factor in this one, with Border watching from the sidelines on Thursday.
The battle between the loose forwards is one to keep an eye on, as well as the midfield clash, with SA reps everywhere you look.
Prediction: Border
12:00 – Sharks v SWD
The Sharks side will go into their final game with a point to prove, having pushed WP so close on Wednesday, and with the news of eight of their squad getting national honours. I worry for their pack against SWD, especially at scrum time. They are big, but counterintuitively struggle in the scrum. It was good to see that lock Jack Waterhouse made the SA Schools squad, he is a far better prospect than the much-heralded JF van Heerden and it will become clearer in the next few years that this is the case.
SWD will be so disappointed with the basic errors they made in good areas on Thursday. The conditions didn’t help but also not tapping the 5m penalty leading to a try and a controversial intercept (the scorer was about a mile offside) would have demoralised the Eagles players. Their pack is monstrous and if they keep it tight and gain ascendancy at the scrum and lineout as expected, then their backline could have many opportunities out wide.
I cannot wait for the first scrum. Ruan Swart against Nic Snyman could be a massacre and the Hilton tighthead may well need the referee to intervene to save face.
Prediction: SWD
13:30 – WP v Bulls
The main game is going to be a cracker. There will be a clash of styles in a repeat of the URC Final, with WP being able to prepare to face a forward onslaught from the Bulls, backed up by pinpoint kicking from their halfbacks. It will be important for the WP side not to concede penalties in their half as the Bulls lineout maul has been extremely effective and Heymans’ goalkicking is flawless. The Bulls blew their opponents away in the first half of both their games and WP will need to stay in the fight for the full 70.
The WP side are battle hardened from two tough encounters and the extra days break will have been welcomed by the hosts. WP have played well in patches but Saturday would be the perfect time for them to click for the full 70. They have scored some brilliant tries in the backline and Saturday promises to be the perfect end to an absorbing week of action under Table Mountain.
Prediction: WP