Eastern Province Rugby facing some new challenges

With International rugby coming to an end, atleast for now, Eastern Province Rugby is facing some new challenges. With Super Rugby continuing after a month long break and Currie Cup 1st Division kicking off this weekend, managing players will probably be top on their to do list.  

The Southern Kings will be facing the Vodacom Bulls in Pretoria without their captain Luke Watson, who needs to go for an ankle opperation that will take him out of the game for another six months. Steven Sykes is still out with injury, along with Siyanda Grey and Sergeal Peterson. At least some good news for the Southern Kings is that Michael Killian has fully recovered form his injury and will start on the right wing against the Bulls on Saturday.

The problem they facing with the EP Kings defending their 1st Division cup is that, due to the fact of Super Rugby and 1st Division overlapping, the EP King will have to play their first six matches without some of their 1st choice players. As challenging as it might be for the EP Kings, it also creates a wonderful oppertunity for younger players to put their hands up and for EP Rugby to test their depth within the province.

EP Kings will be without their top players for the opening Currie Cup matches against the Pumas (June 28, Nelson Mandela Bay), Griffons (July 6, Welkom), Leopards (July 12,NMB), South Western Districts Eagles (July 19, George), Boland (July 26,NMB), Falcons (August 3, Kempton Park) and Border (NMB).

Director of Rugby, Alan Solomons, said this was a unique situation, as never before has Super Rugby and Currie Cup schedules overlapped to this extent, and that this would pose significant challenges, as essentially the province would have to manage two teams simultaneously.  

“We are confident that we will be able to put in a good showing in the Currie Cup, despite these challenges,” said Solomans.

“This is what we have been saying all along, Super Rugby is not just about being able to compete in the top competition, it also creates opportunities for other players who would otherwise not necessarily have had the opportunities to play,” 

“I know that David Maidza and Robbi Kempson are up for the challenge,” he said.

EP Kings Acting CEO and General Manager, Charl Crous, said the union would continue with its stance of making top flight rugby in the province accessible to the general public.

“We have decided to charge just R30 per ticket for our Currie Cup games, with children under 13 paying just R15,” he said.

Its surely an exciting but also a challenging time at EP Rugby at the moment, with the Southern Kings and their quest to retain their Super Rugby status for another season and EP Kings defending their 1st Division cup with a possible promo/relegation match to play for at the end of the Currie Cup season. 

Kings to play Currie Cup Premier Division (Part 2)

The views of the Southern Kings were starting to change slightly among the media and were even given the thumbs up to stand a chance in beating a struggling Bulls side. They also welcomed back their inspirational captain, Luke Watson who got injured in their first game against the Force, but not even he could change the outcome of the match as the effects of a tiring tour was taking its toll on the players as nothing went their way on the night and unable to score a single point, went down 34 - 0. They played the Cheetahs the following week in Bloemfontein, they kept the home side from scoring four tries but were unable to close the 14 point deficit. The Waratahs came to Port Elizabeth to give the Southern Kings their first proper hiding, scoring 11 tries in the process to bring the final score to 72 - 10 after the 80 minutes.

The Southern Kings had to dig deep for their 10th consecutive match when they faced the bottom of the log Highlanders. Alan Solomons always said the team is build on character, and character was maybe a bit more then what they needed when they faced the Highlanders, with one game left before they get a well deserved beak. Their character came through strong against the Highlanders, Watson was leading magnificently from the front with two of his teams four tries. Their defense held out when it was needed the most and they recorded a well deserved bonus point win, 34 - 27. They were unable to build on that momentum when they came back from their break to face the Cheetahs at home and went down 22 - 34.

The Southern Kings have showed they are here to play rugby, their record might not look that great as they played 12, won 3 drawn 1 and lost 8, they have scored 244 points and conceded 415 points, scored 22 and conceded 50 tries with 2 bonus points and 24 log points. Maybe not bad for a debut season but that will definitely change with more experience. 

What good has Super Rugby done for the Eastern Cape and the Southern Kings? Its brought top rugby and players back to the Eastern Cape, its filled the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium with much joy. SA rugby is again starting to look at players, with Sergeal Petersen selected for the u20 side and Demetri Catrakilis invited to join the Springbok training camp, and with another year they might look at players like SP Marais, Shaun Venter, Cornel du Preez, Wimpie van der Walt or Jacques Engelbrecht just to name a few.

In my opinion the best thing SARU can do for EP Rugby if they really want to see growth in the province is to accommodate them to play in the Premier Division of the Currie Cup, not a promo/relegation but to add them to the competition. And this is why; let's say the Kings beat the Lions in the promo/relegation match at the end of the Super Rugby campaign, EP Kings will play 1st division where the rest of the teams will go into Super Rugby 2014 with Currie Cup momentum and can easily adapt to the pace of Super Rugby, the Southern Kings will always be a few paces behind. 

There is with out a doubt something special happening within Eastern Province Rugby, NMMU having their best season to date in the Varsity Cup, Despatch winning the first ever Cell C Community Cup, EP Kings reached the semi final in the Vodacom Cup, rugby is definitely on a high and we can only hope the momentum won't be stopped and we see EP rugby fall back into a dark place. 

Kings to play Currie Cup Premier Division (Part 1)

I wrote the following piece on why EP Kings should be included in the Currie Cup Premier Division in the June issue of Sport Elizabeth.

The Southern Kings have showed what a team can do with a little heart and determination, and what you can accomplish if you want to prove a point. They were given very little chance of any success during their debut Super Rugby season, in fact not even a win and most will be like "cricket scores". 

Questions were asked if they will have the depth to outlast the tough competition, will they get a sponsor and will they be able to fill the stadium. A vast majority of South Africans were against the inclusion and might still be after they replaced the Lions who finished last on the over all log in last year competition.

The franchise struggled to sign any big names or former Eastern Cape players as that was the original plan to bring those players back home. The Kings have already secured former Eastern Cape boys, Luke Watson who returned to South Africa after leaving English club Bath and Micheal Killian who decided to return to Port Elizabeth to further his career after a successful 3 years at the Lions which included the Currie Cup in 2010.

New signing included one former Eastern Cape boy and Sharks lock Steven Sykes, Cheetah center Andries Strauss, Lions hooker Bandisa Maku and Lions lock David Bulbring. They also caused a lot of controversy when they named all their foreign players in their Super Rugby squad, namely Daniel Adongo, Nicolas Vergallo, Thomas Leonardi, Virgile Lacombe and Hadleigh Parks. 

Parks was the only player that featured regularly in the starting xv at center but when he broke his arm it gave an opportunity to Ronnie Cooke to make that jersey his own. Very little did we know Maku will keep French hooker Virgile Lacombe out of the starting xv, Maku is really been one of the players that took full advantage of this opportunity to play Super Rugby at the Southern Kings and has been one of the stand out players and played himself as the first choice hooker who keeps on improving game by game. Daniel Adongo and Thomas Leonardi had to happy to play a handful of games and help out at the Vodacom Cup as local players Wimpie van der Walt and Cornel du Preez are keeping them out of the team. Argentinian scrumhalf Nicolas Vergallo is the only other player thats had regular game time, but also second choice to Shaun Venter.

Before the start of the season you would have probably said who's Cornel du Preez, Wimpie van der Walt, Shaun Venter and Jacques Engebrecht. Demetri Catrakilis is not a first choice Super Rugby flyhalf. Andries Strauss, Ronnie Cooke and Steven Sykes are past their prime and cant keep up with the pace anymore. Sergeal Petersen is too young to be playing Super Ruby at the age of 18.   

The Southern Kings started their Super Rugby by re-writing the history books as the only new franchise to enter the competition and win their first game when they beat the Western Force in front of a packed Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth op the 23rd of February 2013. That game will also be remembered for young Sergeal Petersens two tries and being awarded man of the match in his debut game. The Southern Kings went into their next to games facing the finalists of last years Super Rugby competition, losing to the Sharks by 9 points and the Chiefs by 11 points.

Most expected the worst for their first over seas tour, facing the Canterbury Crusaders, Hurricanes, Brumbies and Melbourne Rebels. Their 100+ score line against 7 times Super Rugby Champions Crusaders turned out to be a 35 point difference. The game against the Hurricanes would've been the one where they get humiliated, that turned out to be a 16 point ball game. The Southern Kings started to get momentum and started believing in themselves as they headed to Australia to face the Brumbies and the Rebels. They probably managed to biggest upset when they drew 28 all against then over all log leaders the Brumbies as they went the extra mile to score their bonus point and equalising try in the 82 minute of the game. The following week they went one step further and won their first game over seas as they beat the Rebels with an injury time drop goal by Demetri Catrakilis, 27 - 30. The Southern Kings returned to Port Elizabeth as heroes, bringing back 7 log points from their 4 games.

Part two to follow...

Kings left with two casualties

 

The Cheetahs left Port Elizabeth with not only 5 points but also left the Southern Kings with two injuries. The Cheetahs scored one first half and three second half tries to secure a 34 - 22 bonus point win to keep them in the run for a play off spot. Cheetahs are currently second in the South African Conference, five points behind the Bulls and fourth on the over all log.

Southern Kings Director of Rugby, Alan Solomons confirmed that both Siyanda Grey and Steven Sykes will miss the match against the Stormers in Cape Town this coming Saturday. Grey left the field in the 54th minute while Sykes stayed on due to all the replacements allready being on the field.  

 

“Siyanda has a hamstring injury and will be out for three weeks, while Sykes has sustained a shoulder injury that will see him out for four weeks,” he said.

 

The match was evenly spread out through both halves despite a period half way through the second half where the Kings let their guard down in which the Cheetahs scored three tries to add to their first half try. Johan Sadie scored on half time and Piet van Zyl, Willie le Roux and Sadie scored the second half tries. The Kings had to wait until the 79th minute to score their only try of the match through replacement scrumhalf Nicolas Vergallo.

Kings had 48% of the possession and 46% of the territory, spending 3:05 in Cheetahs 22 compared to their 3:16 spend in Kings 22. Kings were strong in the line outs winning all their throws and taking one against a Cheetah throw.

The Kings made 497 meters from their 97 runs compared to the Cheetahs 655 meters from 106 runs. Both teams were poor on the defense, Kings only managed 76% of their tackles and the Cheetahs only 78%. Kings forced 10 turnovers compared to the 13 from the Cheetahs.

Wimpie van der Walt was once again outstanding on defense with 14 tackles from 15 attempts, Luke Watson also made 15 tackles from 16 attempts. Kevin Buys also missed one tackle, 10 from 11. Andries Strauss made the most meters with ball in hand for the Kings, 76, followed by SP Marias with 43 meters and Shane Gates with 42. Andries Strauss hit the most rucks/mauls for the Kings, 9, followed by Bandise Maku and SP Marais with 7 each.

With Grey unavailable for selection against the Stormers the Kings can possibly look at Micheal Killian to add some speed to the backline and linking up with SP Marais might just add that spark to the backline. The Kings rely heavily on their pack of forwards and with an opportunity 5 meters out will easily drive any pack over their own try line, this is where an extra ball carrier will come in handy and a player like Daniel Adongo comes to mind. Adongo being strong and aggressive with ball in hand and ruthless on defense can just add momentum to the Kings pack when they face the Stormers in Cape Town this weekend. 

Exciting game awaits in Port Elizabeth

An exciting games awaits us in Port Elizabeth this afternoon, when the Southern Kings play the Cheetahs from Bloemfontein. The Kings would love to build on the momentum from a forth night ago when they beat the Highlanders in a four try bonus point win. The Cheetahs on the other hand are still in contention of a play off spot and getting a win in today will put them in a better position to make that more of a reality.

There will be quite a few players to keep your eye on that will add the ingredients for a very exciting game. The Cheetahs have a very potent back 3 in Willie le Roux, Ryno Benjamin and Hennie Daniller with the likes of Raymond Rhule on the bench, they can easily turn any situation into a scoring opportunity. Rhule and le Roux are also among the top try scorers with le Roux on 4 and Rhule on 5. The Kings will depend heavily on SP Marais to start something from the back with Siyanda Grey and Marcello Sampson to turn on the gas when needed.

Amongst the midfield its the reliable and solid paring of Andries Strauss and Ronnie Cooke against the exciting Johann Sadie and Robert Ebersohn with inside backs Elgar Watts and points machine Demetri Catrakilis calling the shots and directing play. Catrakilis is currently 9th on the overall points log with 107 points, he will also be looking to add more to that total before he joins the Springbok training group in the week. Two of the Cheetahs top points scorers are not featuring in this game, namely Burton Francis on 62 and Johan Goosen on 43.

The Cheetahs have two very explosive scrum halves in Piet van Zyl and Sarel Pretorius on the bench. For the Kings Shaun Venter has showed some promising performances and has really made the no 9 jersey his own with Argentinian Nicolas Vergallo as his back up.

But the battle will be won upfront with two strong leaders and players that prefer to lead from the front with Adrian Strauss and Luke Watson. Watson had a strong game against the Highlanders and looked like he was almost back to full strength, scoring two of his teams four tries. Cornel du Preez, who was man of the match in their last game, and Wimpie van der Walt will give their assistance to captain Watson to try and out muscle the likes of Philip van der Walt, Lappies Labuschagne and Heinrich Brüssow.

Another interesting tussle will be between Wimpie van der Walt and Lappies Labuschagne to reign as the best defender. Labuschagne is currently leading the tackle count on 194 followed by van der Walt on 184. There is quite a few Cheetah players amongst the top tackles, Phillip van der Walt is 5th on 162, Heincrich Brussow 9th on 148, Robert Ebersohn 11th on 148 and Francious Uys is 15th on 138. The closest Kings player to van der Walt is du Preez who is 19th on 136 tackels.

Steven Sykes and David Bullbring will also have their hands full with the likes of Francois Uys and Lood de Jager come line out time with Ligtoring Landman to play off the bench. Lourens Adriaanse and Springboks Adriaan Strauss and Coenie Oosthuizen will try and force their dominance on Kevin Buys, Bandise Maku and Schalk Ferreira who's really been impressive and gave some international front rankers a hard time in the scrums. 

This should be a very entertaining game with still so much to play for on both sides. Kick off will be at 3pm.    

From Kings Academy to Super Rugby

Perhaps a week or two late, as it seemed to slip under the radar that we haven’t acknowledged yet another Kings Academy product to be selected for our senior Super Rugby side. My sincerest apologies to Shane, the Gates clan and the Kings Supporters base at large. That of course doesn’t necessarily mean we can’t make amends.

The 1st time i saw Shane Gates play was for Muir College against Queen’s College (my Alma Mater) in June 2009, not the biggest fellow at 1st glance, but nothing could have prepared me for what followed.  Queen’s won that game comfortably, but Shane however left a lasting impression on that day, if not with the entire arena, then most certainly with me. 

It’s safe to say, I’ve been a member of the fan club ever since that afternoon. I even remember after the announcement last year August, asking a mate of mine who lives in Port Elizabeth if Shane Gates was ready to lead our campaign in the no.10 jersey. His reply of course was that Shane needed more time to mature.

The Muir College old boy is a gifted flyhalf who is an Eastern Province boy through and through. Having represented them at school and in his junior years with the Academy. He’s got all the makings of a great flyhalf, good awareness, booming boot, great vision, brilliant distribution and solid decision making. He is also comfortable at 12 but it is at 10 where he comes into his own. He’s matured a great deal since his arrival at the Kings, he’s grown with the seniors over the past 2 years, and this year marked a 3rd Vodacom Cup campaign at the tender age of 21. 

One of the big disappointments came last year as he wasn’t invited to the Baby Bok camp even after 1st choice pivot Johan Goosen was injured; it was perhaps the actions of a flawed selection system. As any young player would do, he got up and moved on after that disappointment and enjoyed a fantastic Currie Cup campaign where he was utilised in both the senior and u21 ranks. He relished the opportunity to spearhead the Vodacom Cup campaign at pivot and it was his eye catching performances in the Vodacom Cup this year that eventually prompted the senior coaching staff to call him up for a taste of Super Rugby.

He came off the bench against the Highlanders two weeks ago to make an earlier than expected debut as Andries Strauss had to go off with an injury in the 1st half. The performance was promising and mature, reflective of a player who’d been given time in the structures and grown into a player ready to take on much bigger stages.

Shane Gates’ promising start to his Super Rugby career bodes well for the Kings and hopefully he’ll be given more time on the park in order to decrease the workload of Demetri Catrakilis and Andries Strauss in the seasons to come as he grows into the Super Rugby competition. Well done to Shane and to Robbie Kempson and his team, we take our hats off to you once again. Keep up the good work.

Ludumo Nkabi

Super Rugby opens door for another Kings player

Super Rugby has opened the door for another Southern Kings player to be called up for a possible national selection. Last month Sergeal Petersen got the call that he was included in the South African u20 squad, this time round it is Demetri Catrakilis that's been called up to the Springbok training camp.  

Catrakilis described being called up to the Springbok training squad as being surreal. Catrakilis is one of eight players who did not make the first training camp, he will be joining the squad after this weekend's game against the Cheetahs.         

Catrakilis has been an real asset to the Kings with his accurate goal kicking and is currently 9th in the most points column with 107, joining fellow South Africans Morne Steyn on 163 Pat Lambie on 139 and Joe Petersen on 125 in the 2013 Super Rugby season so far. He has converted 13 of the Kings 21 tries, kicked 26 penalties and 1 drop goal.

 

“It’s a dream come true for me, it’s something I’ve been striving towards for the past two years, but ever since I’ve been a kid it’s been a dream of mine, and to eventually be here is a bit surreal,” said an elated Catrakilis.

“I’m satisfied with what I have done so far, I could always get better and that’s what I am looking to do,” he said.

After winning the Currie Cup for Western Province against the Sharks last year he signed a contract with the Southern Kings and moved to Port Elizabeth for the opportunity to play Super Rugby.

 

“It’s been really exciting, it is a really nice team, it’s a nice union and PE is a really beautiful place.”

Maybe an opportunity he would have missed out on if he stayed at Province.

The Springboks will play their first test against Italy on the 8th of June at Kings Park in Durban.

The full training squad: 

Forwards: Tendai Mtawarira, Trevor Nyakane, Jannie du Plessis, Coenie Oosthuizen,Wiehahn Herbst, Adriaan Strauss, Bismarck du Plessis, Chiliboy Ralepelle, Eben Etzebeth, Flip van der Merwe, Juandré Kruger, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Siya Kolisi, Marcell Coetzee, Willem Alberts, Arno Botha, Lappies Labuschagne, Pierre Spies, Ryan Kankowski.

Backs: Jano Vermaak, Francois Hougaard, Pat Lambie, Morné Steyn, Elton Jantjies, Demetri Catrakilis, Jean de Villiers, Juan de Jongh, Jan Serfontein, Robert Ebersohn, JJ Engelbrecht, Bryan Habana, Lwazi Mvovo, Raymond Rhule, Lionel Mapoe, Bjorn Basson, Gio Aplon, Zane Kirchner, Willie le Roux.

A team full of character(s)

The Southern Kings enjoyed a well deserved bye this past weekend after a tough ten weeks. As the competitions draws to an end with only 4 rounds left, two at home against the Cheetahs and Stormers and two away against the Bulls and Sharks, the Kings will be looking to throw all their cards on the table.

The Southern Kings team is build on character and during these last 10 games that character was tested on so many occasions. Coming close in the games against the Sharks and the Chiefs, a big lose against the Crusaders and showing some fighting spirit against Hurricanes. It all just gave the Kings momentum and made them a stronger unit as they drew level in Canberra against the Brumbies and a week later won their first game on their first tour against the Rebels.

The team suffered some disappointment as they returned to South Africa with a big lose against the Bulls at home. Their inexperience against the Cheetahs cost them at least a bonus point and the Waratahs just took them apart, but when a team is build on character they play for each other, they have a never say die attitude and they play with heart not big names.

Their character came through strong against the Highlanders, they looked more focused and played with purpose. The Kings scored four tries on the night and their defense held on when it counted the most. The Highlanders came out strong towards the end and after the Kings threw away a comfortable lead they had to work hard in the end, but it all payed off with a 34 - 27 win.

A team build on character will always have a few characters to add spice on the field. One of those characters must be Luke Watson. Watsons leadership was evident against the Highlanders, leading from the front and scoring two of his teams four tries. Watson struggled to get back into rhythm after his injury but it seems like he is back to form and it can only be beneficial to the team.

Before the start of the season you would have said Cornell who? Jacques Englebrecht is a First Division player and Sergeal Petersen is fresh out of school and Super Rugby will end his playing career. Some would have question the ability of Demetri Catrakilis as your first choice flyhalf. And the likes of Andries Strauss, Steven Sykes and Ronnie Cooke. 

Well Cornell du Preez was named man of the match against the Highlanders he's also been one of the strongest ball carriers for the Kings and someone that gives everything every game. Jacques Engelbrecht came to the Super Rugby scene when he replaced Luke Watson in the first game and i'm sure he's never looked back. Some of the bigger unions must be regretting not getting their hands on him. Engelbrecht or "Vleis" as he is known has gained many meter for the Kings with ball in hand and has left many opponents on their backs with his crunching tackles and storming runs. 

Sergeal Petersen fresh out of school scored two tries on debut for the Kings and was named man of the match in his very first Super Rugby game. Petersen was rewarded for his performances playing in the Kings jersey by being named in the SA u20 squad. The Stormers must be kicking themselves for letting the "Greek" go, opting for Elton Jantjies and not investing in the flyhalf that won them the Currie Cup last year. Catrakillis is in the top 10 of everything that involves the boot and has kept the Kings alive in all their games. He's been a great asset to the Kings.

Many would have said their players careers are over, but Strauss, Sykes and Cooke had still alot to offer for this young team. Their playing and leadership has been vital and their input has been irreplaceable for the future of this Kings team.

With only four games remaining, one can only predict more exciting rugby from the Kings and they need to back themselves to beat the Cheetahs and the Stormers at home. 

 

Kings rise to the occasion

When the Highlanders played the Southern Kings on Saturday it was really a case of trying to keep head above water as they were hoping to shake the Wooden Spoon tag and get their second win of the competition.

Most people would have probably bet against the Kings as the long Super Rugby season is taking its toll and fatique is setting in and also the fact that they have been struggling since returning from their tour. Playing the full 80 minutes without scoring a point against the Bulls and fighting back and doing enough to stay within reach against the Cheetahs but inexperience getting the better of them in the end.

But the game against the Waratahs a week ago was a different story. If the game against the Crusaders which ended 55 - 20 was a "rugby lesson" and the fact that the Kings had no answers to the attacking blue wave of the Bulls, the game against the Waratahs must have been a career ending game. The Waratahs scored 11 tries against the Kings 1 to bring the final score to 72 - 10.

The Kings entered the game against the Highlanders with an extremely disappointing lose against the Waratahs and the Highlanders entered the game with some confidence after winning their first game against the Sharks at home a week before. Who would you put your money on?

From the very first ruck you could see this was a different Kings outfit, the same players but they looked more focused and more determined then a week ago. They were playing in the Highlanders faces and showed no respect. The Highlanders probably played like a team at the bottom end of the competition, standing back and waiting for the Kings to do the playing and being happy with just defending.

It was a very entertaining match for the 19 459 spectators at the Nelson Mandela Stadium and the Kings never disappointed their Kings Army. Scoring 4 tries and getting maximum points from the game to move one spot up on the log, now in 13th position. The Kings will enjoy a bye this weekend before turning their attention to their return match against the Cheetahs at home on the 25th of May.

As much as credit needs to go to Luke Watson for a true captains role in leading from the front and scoring two of his teams tries, praise must go to all 22 players. It takes a special team to pick themselves up from a 72 - 10 defeat and beat a seasoned Super Rugby team mixed with a few All Blacks and scoring 4 tries in the process.

"Failure is not getting knocked down. It is about not getting up" - Alan Solomon's after their lose against the Waratahs.

Final score: Southern Kings 34 Highlander 27

Experiencing Super Rugby

The Southern Kings are experiencing what Super Rugby is really about. The toughest matches week in and week out. Having to pick yourself up after a bad lose, dealing with that lose and still have to focus on the coming weeks game. Injuries to first choice players. All aspects of the game that makes Super Rugby the toughest you'll get.

The game against the Highlanders will be their 10th consecutive match before the Kings enjoy a well deserved break and some much needed recovery time before starting to focus on their return match against the Cheetahs on the 25th of May in Port Elizabeth. After the pounding they received from the Waratahs there's not much time for them to lick their wounds as they need to focus on the game against the Highlanders. The Highlanders, currently last on the over all log will be by no means an easy game as they got their first win and confidence back after beating the Sharks last week and will be looking to make it two in a row when they face the Kings on Saturday.

As with all other teams the Kings have had their share of injuries over the season. Losing their captain Luke Watson in the first match of the tournament. First choice fullback SP Marais getting injured against the Chiefs. Speedster Sergeal Petersen missed two matches against the Bulls and Cheetahs and had to leave the field against the Waratahs. Petersen will be out for 3 to 4 weeks while recovering from a grade 2 tear to his hamstring. Jacques "Vleis" Engelbrecht who burst onto the Super Rugby scene when he replaced Watson in that first game will also have to sit out against the Highlanders after injuring his ankle last week.

Watson has since recovered from his injury and has mainly started from the bench, but will be taking over from Engelbrecht and will also lead his team out on Saturday. Cornell du Preez will move to no 8 with Wimpie van der Walt moving to no 6 and Watson at 7. SP Marais has also recovered from his injury and will be on the bench, replacing Siviwe Soyizwapi. Daniel Adongo will also return to the bench after some solid performances for the Vodacom Cup side. Devin Oosthuizen and Shane Gates will also take up their place on the bench after some good outings for the EP Kings. Gates could get his first run in a Southern Kings jersey as he replaces Waylon Murray on the bench.

Other chances to the starting line up sees David Bulbring replacing Rynier Bernardo at no 5 and Marcello Sampson replacing Sergeal Petersen on the left wing.

The match will be played at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth on Saturday and kick off will be at 17:05.

Southern Kings:

15 ​George Whitehead 14 Siyanda Grey 13 ​Ronnie Cooke 12 ​Andries Strauss (VC) 11 Marcello Sampson 10 ​Demetri Catrakilis 9 ​Shaun Venter 8 Cornell du Preez 7 Luke Watson (C) 6 Wimpie van der Walt 5 David Bulbring 4 Steven Sykes 3 Kevin Buys 2 Bandise Maku 1 Schalk Ferreira

Replacements:

16 ​Virgile Lacombe 17 Grant Kemp 18 Daniel Adongo 19 ​Devin Oosthuizen 20 ​Nicolas Vergallo 21 ​Shane Gates 22 ​SP Marais