ABSA Currie Cup Premier Division Rugby returns to the shores of the Nelson Mandela Bay this weekend, when the Eastern Province Kings face old foes the Golden Lions from Johannesburg at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth on Saturday.
The Kings have had two pre-season friendlies against the Vodacom Blue Bulls and DHL Western Province in preparation for the much anticipated 2015 Currie Cup season.
The Bulls and Province sent down a mixture of youth and experienced Springboks. In the first friendly the Bulls were just too strong as they turned a 21 – 3 half-time lead into a 33 – 10 final score. Province’s match was a much closer affair as the visitors tipped the Kings by three points after they turned a 14 – 13 half-time lead into a 21 – 18 full-time score after the eighty minutes.
The visiting Lions had one friendly against the Sharks in Pietermaritzburg last week. The team from Johannesburg went down to a spirited Sharks side, 29 – 33, after a commanding 21 – 12 lead at the break.
Kings’ headcoach, Brent Janse van Rensburg appointed Luke Watson as his captain for Saturday’s opener.
There are no real surprises to the Kings starting XV, Scott van Breda comes in at fullback with speedsters Sylvain Mahuza and Luther Obi forming the rest of the outside backs.
JP du Plessis, who had an impressive run in the friendlies gets a start alongside Tim Whitehead in the mid-field. George Whitehead and Enrico Acker forms the halfback combination.
Tim Agaba will combine with Stefan Willemse and Watson to form the loose trio, while Cornel Hess, Steven Sykes, Tom Botha, Martin Ferreira and Schalk Ferreira finish off the tight five.
Kick-off is at 14h15.
EP Kings: 15 Scott van Breda 14 Sylvain Mahuza 13 JP du Plessis 12 Tim Whitehead (vc) 11 Luther Obi 10 George Whitehead 9 Enrico Acker 8 Tim Agaba 7 Stefan Willemse 6 Luke Watson (c) 5 Cornel Hess 4 Steven Sykes 3 Tom Botha 2 Martin Ferreira 1 Schalk Ferreira
Reserves: 16 Michael van Vuuren 17 Simon Kerrod 18 Jacques Engelbrecht 19 Paul Schoeman 20 Kevin Luiters 21 Karlo Aspeling 22 Siyanda Grey
Xerox Golden Lions:: 15 Ruan Combrinck 14 Courtnall Skosan 13 Harold Vorster 12 Howard Mnisi 11 Anthony Volmink 10 Marnitz Boshoff 9 Ross Cronje 8 Ruaan Lerm 7 Kwagga Smith 6 Jaco Kriel (c) 5 Martin Muller 4 Franco Mostert 3 Julian Redelinghuys 2 Malcolm Marx 1 Jacques van Rooyen
Reserves: 16 Robbie Coetzee 17 Ruan Dreyer 18 MB Lusaseni 19 Steph de Wit 20 Lohan Jacobs 21 Stokkies Hanekom 22 Jaco van der Walt
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I’m interested to see how the Kings go…
@pastorshark (Comment 1) : I’m not. 🙂
I think this will be a cakewalk for lions.
I hope my boys smash them!!! 😈
I predict, and hope, that this will be very one sided.
@pastorshark (Comment 1) : Keen to see what Brent can do with them, he did well to take NMMU to two semi-finals in the Varsity Cup
Um, go Kings!!
@robdylan (Comment 7) : Sies. ????
just for interest sake, anyone keen for updates?
@pierre_mackie (Comment 9) : no mate take a break,the fact that EPK are playing is isult enough
@benji (Comment 10) : hahaha
EP Kings 0 – 14 Lions 10mins
EP Kings 0 -21 Lions 16mins
This is going to be ugly.
Bonus Point in 17min
Lions 28
Kings 0
Intercept try for the Kings
Converted Van Breda
Kings 7
Lions 28
19min
@Mutley (Comment 17) : you taking over 😉
@pierre_mackie (Comment 18) : Hehehe my team
Lions trying to be too fancy now and loosing rythem
Penalty attempt by Boshoff and over
Lions 31
Kings 7
33min
Tackles made Kings 40 Lions 18
Tackles missed Kings 4 Lions 2
35min
Kings with an attacking scrum 5m out
Halftime
Lions 31
Kings 7
EPKings 7 – T: Mahuza. C: v Breda
Lions 31 – T: Smith (2), Mnisi, Skosan C: Boshoff (4). P: Boshoff (1)
@pierre_mackie (Comment 25) : Kwagga Smith needs to score more tries hehe. He is in my fantasy league team
Boshoff start the 2nd half
@Mutley (Comment 26) : along with Kriel, they gonna hurt a few teams this year
The game started like a house on fire but now both teams are making numerous errors
Boshoff having an attempt at goal and over
Lions 34
Kings 7
49min
Try for Simmon Kerrod
Van Breda converts
Kings 14
Lions 34
53min
Lions get a kickable penalty but going for the line out
Get another penalty and Lions go for goal. Boshoff makes it 7 from 7
Lions 37
Kings 14
58min
Lions with an attacking scrum 5m out
Lions get a penalty from the scrum and going for the scrum again
Another scrum penalty and Kings are on a warning. Lions take the scrum again
Another scrum penalty and Schalk Ferreria get a yellow card. Lions take another scrum
TMO try for Stokkies Hanekom? But no try. Forward pass
Kwagga gets his 3rd try!!!!!!!
Boshoff makes it 8 from 8
Lions 44
Kings 14
69min
TMO try for Volmink? Yes it is a try
Boshoff takes the Lions past 50 with his 9th succesful kick
Lions 51
Kings 14
77min
Fulltime
Lions 51
Kings 14
Man of the Match
Kwagga Smith