With the naming of the SA Schools team the inevitable begins, complaints from parents and classmates of those who were not selected is part and parcel of the entire process. With so much talent available in South Africa it was never going to be easy for the selectors to pick a squad that would satisfy everyone, in fact I doubt such a squad has ever been selected.

That being said we thought we would mention a few players who have had fantastic season who were probably unlucky not to achieve higher honours during the season that was, whether it was missing selection by a whisker after a solid Craven Week or due to injury.

Here are our list of Outside Backs who we felt were unlucky to miss out on higher honours:

Jandre Genis (Boland Landbou)

Jandre has had a stellar 2022 season, his potential is there for all to see and despite Boland Landbou having an up and down season Genis has been a consistent performer. His performances at Craven Week should do his chances of achieving a pro contract no harm.

Spha Ngcobo (Maritzburg College)

Spah is the kind of player that can make something happen out of thin air, not since Franck Knoetze have I seen a player with such amazing spatial awareness and ability to open up play. Maritzburg despite their enormous potential this year failed to deliver on their promise and perhaps this is what caused Spah his place in the team?

Shaun Ray (Paarl Gim)

We have not witnessed a South African school player with the kind of assets a player like Shaun Ray possesses, he seems almost like a reincarnation of Christian Cullen – one of the greatest running fullbacks of all time.

Ray has a turn of speed and footwork that literally tears open defenses, his distribution and ability to put his fellow outside backs into space is something to behold and we feel he would have been one of those players who would have truly stamped his authority on the game at Craven Week.

JC Mars (Paarl Boys)

A true hot stepper, Mars enthralled during the season and was one of the standout talents at the Craven Week tournament where he tormented opposition defenders.

Although not selected for national honours he is a player who will go onto have a distinguished career we believe.

Risima Sambo (Affies)

Named in the 2021 EPD squad as well as last years U18 South African team to tour Georgia it was pretty much a given that Risima would make his way into the SA Schools team. Unfortunately he battled with injury throughout the season and this certainly ensured a difficult path for him toward the national setup but he has signed his pro papers with an unnamed Union and therefore we fully expect him to fulfil his much vaunted potential.

Logan Opperman (Paarl Gim)

We have been watching Opperman since he was a 14 year old, we knew that here we had a young player with the world at his feet and in his grade 11 year he duly delivered on that talent with some breathtaking displays for Gimmies.

Injury ultimately curtailed his 2022 season but you can bet the house he would of easily walked into the SA Schools team this year.

JJ Daters (Outeniqua)

JJ started the season like a house on fire, his strength, speed and electrifying pace was on full display at the Grey High festival earlier in the season where he was one of the first names on our list for the team of the tournament.

The SWD region unfortunately only really has two top level schools to call upon for Craven Week and those two are fierce rivals which some feel may hinder team cohesion but with a few of the Eagles boys making SA Schools is this really the case? JJ can count himself unlucky not making the team, but there is always next year for the gifted young rookie.

Luke Graham (Paul Roos)

Has there been a more consistent try scoring machine during the 2022 season? Graham burst onto the scene with some outstanding displays throughout the season despite some challenges early on in the season for the Maroon Machine.

A gifted finisher no doubt but there are so many aspects to Graham’s game that one could add that it would require it’s own article, a player who can count himself seriously unlucky not to have worn the green and gold this year.

Liam Dick (Garsfontein)

Liam was another of those players whose form has been nothing short of scintillating during the 2022 season. Arriving on the scene as a relative unknown as many of his contemporaries (no rugby for 2 years will do that) he made his presence felt almost immediately in what was a hugely successful season for the Garsfontein Bere.

If there is one thing we are certain of, this will not be the last you will hear of Liam Dick.

Kabelo Tekane (KES)

It came as a major shock that Tekane was not selected in the Golden Lions Craven Week team in the first place, and with no Craven Week your chances of SA Schools selections unfortunately suffers greatly but let this not reflect on him as a player rather just the enormous depth that exists within youth rugby in South Africa.

Part of the EPD reckoning in 2021 and a player many felt was one to watch in 2022 sometimes the ball doesn’t bounce in your favour and for the highly gifted Tekane this was to be one of those years. Let’s hope the player can take this minor setback big picture wise and use it to motivate himself for future greatness.