The Southern Kings will embark uncharted territory when they travel to Wales and Ireland as they debut in the new-look Guinness Pro 14 competition that kicks-off this weekend.
The Port Elizabeth-based side along with the Cheetahs were included in the newly renovated Pro 12 after being dropped from Super Rugby, the Southern Hemisphere’s premier competition.
The Southern Kings will travel to Wales first to face Scarlets on Saturday before heading to Ireland where they will face Connacht.
Scarlets, or Y Sgarlets if you’re a local, are the 2016/17 Pro 12 winners. The Welsh club ran out 46 – 22 victors against Irish club Munster.
The club was founded in 2003 and is currently captained by Welsh international and British and Irish Lions player Ken Owens. Four players were included in the 2017 B&I Lions that toured New Zealand earlier this year. Two South Africans in former Springboks and Bulls prop Werner Kruger and former Southern Kings lock, David Bulbring are current members of the Scarlets squad.
The club also signed Welsh international and B&I Lions player Leigh Halfpenny for their upcoming Pro 14 season.
The two teams will play in Conference B along with another Welsh club, Dragons, two Irish clubs Ulster and Leinster, one Scottish club, Edinburgh and Italian club Benetton Treviso.
The Kings boast a number of former Sharks Super Rugby and Currie Cup players in the form of centre Zuks Vulindlu, winder S’bura Sithole, flank Khaya Majola and reserve hooker Stephan Coetzee.
The match will be played at the 14 870 capacity Parc y Scarlets Stadium in Llanelli.
Kick-off is 17:30 (18:30 SA time) and the match will be televised on SuperSport 1.
Southern Kings:
15 Masixole Banda 14 Yaw Penxe 13 Berton Klaasen 12 Luzuko Vulindlu 11 Sibusiso Sithole 10 Kurt Coleman 9 Rudi van Rooyen 8 Andisa Ntsila 7 Victor Sekekete 6 Khaya Majola 5 Dries van Schalkwyk 4 Jurie van Vuuren 3 Rossouw de Klerk 2 Michael Willemse (capt) 1 Schalk Ferreira
Reserves: 16 Stephan Coetzee 17 Luvuyo Pupuma 18 Entienne Swanepoel 19 Bobby de Wee 20 Siyabulela Mdaka 21 Godlen Masimla 22 Ntabeni Dukisa 23 Jacques Nel
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They have to defeat the Night King and the Living Dead first.
Just hope this competition will enable them to get good sponsorships so that they can keep their star players and not lose them after one good season!!!!
@JD (Comment 2) : 😀 star players..
Unfortunately i think the first few games could be very tough for the Kings. They have lost some of their Super rugby quality. Hoping they put up a fight but it could get ugly
Would love them to do well, but fear the worst. Just hope they don’t embarras themselves.
General question – before the PRO14 starts:
Would you, as a Sharks supporter, rather see The Sharks play PRO14 or continue with Super Rugby? 💡
@DuToit04 (Comment 6) : MHO would be for The Sharks to play Super Rugby – until they win the trophy…then move over to Pro14 😉
@Ben (Comment 1) : the zombie dragon is giving me frikken nightmares
@robdylan (Comment 8) : The family trees in that show gives me nightmares. 😯
@DuToit04 (Comment 7) : Ok, so it no Pro 14 ever then for the Sharks 👿
@KingCheetah (Comment 10) : I hate the fact that I agree with you
@West Indies Cricket Board (Comment 3) : boet throw them a bone!!!!
@KingCheetah (Comment 10) : @robdylan (Comment 11) : just for that I’m not texting you both for the rest of the day!!!
@JD (Comment 13) : you haven’t texted me in a long time 🙂
@robdylan (Comment 11) : Keep the faith Rob, if the lions can get so close, then there is hope yet! There has been enough talent at various stages, it’s the consistency that has been lacking.
@JD (Comment 13) : Mercy!!
@McLovin (Comment 9) : Can’t imagine why; it’s hardly different from what the British royals have been up to over the generations…
@DuToit04 (Comment 6) : if it means we play pro14 but can qualify for euro cup, then yes for sure! Jump the super sinking ship before it goes under.
decent match 23 by the kings, some complete unknown, but that doesnt mean they are bad players, will have to wait and see. looking forward to this game. cant believe scarlets as defending champs, do they have that many good players ?
C’mon Kings!
Sbura sithole just did the Mike catt- Jonah lomu with halfpenny, was a thing of beauty
Kings showing a lot more backbone than the Cheetahs last night.
@jdolivier (Comment 21) : Just didn’t score. 😐
Scarlets 15-10 Kings
Half Time
@McLovin (Comment 23) : One simple pass inside would’ve meant a try
Kings’ wheels coming off in the 2nd half. 😐
Kings just not good enough. Yet.
Kings looked solids in the first half, they are having to start ovee for a third time in three years, but I they really look like a bunch of hungry players who now get a chance to play and be seen as opposed to stay on the fringes of the teams they were at. I think that during the 21 game regular season they will slowly improve, if they can keep this team together for next season they will be a force in this comp. good for them too.
related news
http://m.sport24.co.za/sport24/Rugby/SuperRugby/bulls-confirm-bothas-departure-20170116
Ulster have arno botha, deysel and marcell on their books, wow
@revolverocelot (Comment 28) : not completely correct, your link an reference is from January 2017, Ulster did not complete the signing of Arno Botha, due to a series of injuries, they opted out of the contract
http://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-union/39961072
Not a lot of conquering for the Kings during the second half!!! Hope they can do better in the next game!!!
@revolverocelot (Comment 28) : talking of Deysel and Marcell, it seems as if they missed smashing the Cheetahs and enjoyed the chance to do so again!!!
Bit of an embarrassment for SA sides in the Pro14 this weekend. It wont get much easier except when perhaps they play the Italian sides.