Trial round for EP U18 Craven Week side

PLAYING as a unit will top the agenda when the Eastern Province U18 Craven Week rugby side participate in the Southern Coastal Tournament in Oudtshroon tomorrow.

Head coach Christiaan van Schalkwyk said the team had a good mix of players who played in the Craven Week competition last year, along with a host of new faces.

“I think it is a very well-balanced side. All the players in the squad deserve their spots,” he said.

“We have been hampered by injuries. We have five players on the injury list and had to replace them with boys from the Academy team.

“This has been very frustrating from a preparation point of view, but it gives other players a chance to show what they can do.”

The team will play two matches at the tournament tomorrow and Saturday.

In their first match, they take on Western Province tomorrow afternoon before they tackle a WP U18 Merit B side on Saturday.

“This is our first time playing together as a team so it will be interesting to see what the players do on the field based on the combinations we have put together,” Van Schalkwyk said.

“The matches will also be video-recorded so we can go back and analyse their play and see where improvements can be made.”

Limited preparation time is a real worry for Van Schalkwyk and his charges.

“An additional training camp will take place during the school holidays, probably towards the end of June when all the players will come together and we will work on getting them to gel as a team and also implement any improvements we might deem necessary ahead of the trip to Paarl,” he said.

While he would not be drawn into singling out specific players to keep an eye on, he did say that there was enough talent in the side to compete against the traditionally stronger teams.

“There are a few players who played Craven Week last year. In addition, some players have come up from the Grant Khomo U16 sides and those who have played Craven Week previously will be able to assist those coming into the fold for the first time,” he said. Asked if there were any expectations from the teams going to Oudtshoorn, Van Schalkwyk said: “I think we just need to get used to playing together.

“Any improvements can be ironed out during the training camp later, but for this tournament I would say it’s just to play good rugby and execute well on the field.”