WP stacks up on talented juniors with massive focus on midfielders

Western Province has again dined out on some of the best rugby talents from last year's bunch, especially in midfield.

In announcing the signings of Bruce Sherwood (Bishops), Joshua Boulle (St John's), Damian Markus (Stellenberg) and Ulrich Wahl (Grey College) this week, WP have secured some of the best young midfielders in the country.

Sherwood, in particular, was an impressive specimen for Bishops and excelled for the school in the first part of last year's season.

While he was available, Bishops won nine out of their first 10 games, including a draw away to Paul Roos Gimnasium, along with impressive 31-20 successes against Grey High School and Hoerskool Outeniqua.

Sherwood's absence through injury then affected Bishops to a point where they lost eight of their last 10 fixtures.

That downturn included double defeats to arch-rivals Rondebosch (20-15 and 43-26), Wynberg (20-14 and 44-12), and one loss to the South African College Schools (SACS) 15-10.

Sherwood missed Craven Week last year, but such was his pedigree, he featured for the South Africa Under-18 side in their games against France and England.

Boulle, along with teammate Joe Leotlela, have excelled for the Lions and for a St John's side that has done reasonably well in the face of the highly competitive Johannesburg and Tshwane schools rugby circuit.

Wahl, meanwhile, was a more than adequate performer for a Grey College side that wasn't as dominant as past teams, while Markus was easily one of the best outside centres going around in the school's rugby circuit last year.

Markus alternated between 12 and 13 as Stellenberg punched well above their weight, but the bulk of the players Western Province have brought in were also part of the cream of the crop.

Zachary Porthen,