The SA Schools team overturned a half-time deficit to beat the SA Schools A side at Monument High School in Krugersdorp on Thursday afternoon.
The match, won 38-22 by the SA Schools outfit confirmed the amount of talent available at schoolboy level and bodes well for the International U18 Series to be played in August.
The first half belonged to the SA Schools A team, who showed good appreciation of the gusty conditions and defended well to thwart early attacks by their opponents.
The A side initially had the upper hand at the breakdowns out wide, but had no reply when SA Schools flanker Josh Neil found space in the outside channel and left wing Zekhethelo Siyaya raced over in the corner. Flyhalf Yaqeen Ahmed added the extras.
SA Schools A flyhalf Luan Giliomee used the forward momentum from a scrum to deliver a pin-point cross kick to left wing Junaide Stuart, to dot down in the corner. Giliomee then added the extras with a tight angle to equal the scores.
The A side scored next, again from a strong scrum and after a number of phases, outside centre, Markus Muller, slipped outside his man to dot down. Giliomee missed the conversion, but his side was 12-7 up.
A lapse at the restart cost the A side dearly though as flanker Motlotjoa Maake gathered the ball to crash over. Ahmed missed the conversion and after 20 minutes it was all square again.
Muller proved a handful in the midfield and another lovely break by him handed fullback Dylan Miller an easy run in. Giliomee converted and the A-side were 19-12 up again.
WATCH: Bok bruisers to make a point
Siyaya got his second after good lineout play by his pack. They drove well from secured possession and when the ball was finally moved to the backs, the left wing sneaked over in the corner.
The conversion was wide and the A-side still had a two-point lead. They had a good opportunity to extend that from an attacking lineout, but the SA Schools’ defence held out until the break.
The second half saw some replacements from both sides take the field and that impacted on the fluency of play. Both teams were also using the boot a bit more in order to win the territorial battle.
The SA Schools side took the lead 12 minutes into the second half when a lovely timed pass from replacement flyhalf, Vusi Moyo, found outside centre Pieter van der Merwe at full pace. He dotted down and Moyo’s conversion gave them a 24-19 lead with 18 minutes to play.
A good counterattack by the SA Schools outside backs killed the results for their A side opponents. Fullback Akahluwa Boqwana started a lovely counter-attack in his own half and a well-timed inside pass found replacement scrumhalf, Elgernon Meyer, who scored. Moyo converted for a 31-19 lead.
Some soft hands around the blind side by the SA Schools side resulted in a third try for Siyaya, with Moyo kicking an easy conversion. Vian Mentoor kicked a late penalty goal for the A side, but by then the result was a forgone conclusion.
Photo: @SAJuniorRugby/Twitter