England school SA’s youngsters

South Africa’s SA Schools XV’s misery was completed when they lost 52-22 to England in the Under19 International Series.

South Africa, last season’s champions, lost the opener to Wales 30-28 and earlier the week lost to France 13-8.

But conceding 50 points at home in the tournament’s final match played at City Park completes their worst performance at the tournament. It is also the first time the SA Schools XV has lost all three games.

The 2017 SA Schools team was an odd mix, in which very few players from several of the leading rugby schools made the squad.

My view is that Paarl Boys High, unbeaten in 53 matches in South Africa in the last three seasons, would have whipped this SA Schools XV. There wasn’t one Boshaai player in the run on XV that lost to France and only a sprinkling in the side given a lesson by England.

SA Schools coach Lance Sendin, on the official SARugby site, said: ‘We didn’t play the way we wanted to in the first half and we missed three opportunities to score. We bounced back in the first 10 minutes of the second half, but we let it slip again. So in essence bad defence and our inability to use a number of chances cost us again.’

England led 19-0 at halftime and the big win saw them victorious in the Championship, having won two from three matches.

France beat Wales 31-19 for a second successive win and Wales, courtesy of wins against South Africa and England, also finished with two wins.

Scorers:

SA Schools 22 (0) – Tries: Muller du Plessis (2), Henco Martins. Conversions: Qamani Kota (2). Penalty Goal: Qamani Kota.
England 52 (19) – Tries: Ollie Hassell-Collins, Josh Basham, Sam Moore, Nic Rigby, Tom Willis, Caden Murley, Sam Spink, Nick David. Conversions: Cameron Redpath (3), Kieran Wilkinson (3).