New SA Rugby U23 Cup

SA Rugby U23 Cup

Participating teams: Bulls, Lions, Sharks, Stormers

Opening round: 21 March (double round of matches with a final)

Final: 16 May

This is a new comp that Rassie and Saru kicked off and will start this season. Looks to be a bridge between Varsity Cup and URC, but I wonder what happened to the currie cup then as a stepping stone for young talent.

I wonder if it is just another reason to allow the big 4 to horde players and keep them match fit. None the less, I think it is good run of games getting to the see the young talent slug it out but up to 23 which is the real difference.

Wonder if they should have thrown the Cheetahs in here which would have made it more interesting for them given the hot bed of talent they normally are and would have been a route into URC if Wales ever drop a team and SA are permitted to submit a fifth team.

What are your thoughts?

I think that is shows again Easmus is right agan. It would serve is a test to see who a re really coming through the youngsters as potnetial competition that will serve as a replacment program for the Springboks.

I think years ago the Under 23 series was used and described as a junior boks competitionn. On international level in the 1990's there was a system to compete on Under 23 level.

Yesterday confirms a comment from Erasmus as to problem at locks Nortje at lock wa an example, He is a regular in the Springbk squad - but - but yesterday he was pathetiic and totally outplayed by Schickerling at line-outs specifically.

I think that there are weak spots in the set-up and that the new proporaition would ave a wider choice of youngsters coming through the ranks, I can think of a number of positions where there are problems. I will start poff with the following problem identifiction. where the Springboks are a bit thin:-

Full back - Center, - Halfbacks - props and locks,

The fact is that he follwoing Under 20 players are promising material -

but th youngsters have a problem of showing their portential on Sprin gbok development level:-

Pead at scrumhalf Muller at center - Meyer at lock, Ahmed at flyhalf,/ We ill see a batch of Under 20's in the Under 20's - soe saying ot il be he ebst Under 20 team ever/ But some of ese players do not get regular selection on franchise level - soa new series will be nterestin g - seein g the young sers on higher level playing regularly in matches on franchise level..

, ,

. .