Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
NZ NZ

Recap: Southern Kings vs Cheetahs LIVE | Guinness PRO14

By RugbyPass
RugbyPass Live Match Centre

Follow all the action on the RugbyPass live blog from the Guinness PRO14 match between Southern Kings and Cheetahs at Nelson Mandela Bay stadium.

ADVERTISEMENT

Keep up to date with the latest score, stats and join the conversation from anywhere in the world in our Live Match Centre (click here).

Kings full-back Masixole Banda will earn his 50th cap for the franchise in the round eight fixture. The 31-year-old hot-stepper has amassed his caps in both the Guinness PRO14 championship and Super Rugby, making him one of the stalwarts of the Port Elizabeth-based side.

The diminutive player, who has shown his versatility at both full-back and fly-half, will run on in the No15 jersey on Saturday in front of his hometown crowd. 

“I’m really excited to have reached this milestone,” a jubilant Banda said, hoping Kings can fare better than they did when trounced by Edinburgh in their last outing.

(Continue reading below…)

Pieter-Steph du Toit fronts up to the media in South Africa

Video Spacer
 

“It has not been easy reaching 50 games which is not a feat that many players are able to reach. I’m proud of the road that I have travelled in my career to reach this stage.

ADVERTISEMENT

“It is extra special for me because it can be something that can motivate other kids who come from our townships like I do. I’m grateful for the opportunities I have received to reach this point.

“I hope that I can contribute towards the team’s cause and aim of leaving the field with a win. The Kings is a team that is close to my heart and I always give it my all for my team-mates, the coaches and the fans. It will be no different when I play my 50th match.”

The Cheetahs, meanwhile, return to near full-strength for the South African derby following their recent hammering at Zebre.

ADVERTISEMENT

Coach Hawies Fourie has selected a new wing pairing, brought back hooker Joseph Dweba and No8 Gerhard Olivier as he strengthens the side for a must-win encounter if the Cheetahs are to keep up their quest to make the playoffs.

“It doesn’t matter if you performed badly in the previous game. Each week is going to be a challenge and you can’t take any game for granted,” said captain Tian Meyer.

“We have trained hard these last two weeks and we tried to rectify our mistakes. Mentally we’ve made a step-up and we’ll try our best to put out a better performance.”

SOUTHERN KINGS: 15. Masixole Banda; 14. Yaw Penxe, 13. Sibusiso Sithole, 12. John-Thomas Jackson, 11. Erich Cronje; 10. Bader Pretorius, 9. Stefan Ungerer; 1. Schalk Ferreira, 2. Jacques du Toit, 3. Rossouw de Klerk, 4. Jerry Sexton, 5. Aston Fortuin, 6. Ruaan Lerm, 7. Thembelani Bholi, 8. Elrigh Louw. Reps: 16. Alandre van Rooyen, 17. Xandre Vos, 18. Ignatius Prinsloo, 19. Bobby de Wee, 20. Lusanda Badiyana, 21. Theo Maree, 22. Courtney Winnaar, 23. Andell Loubser.

CHEETAHS: 15. Rhyno Smith; 14. Clayton Blommetjies, 13. William Small-Smith, 12. Benhard Janse van Rensburg, 11. Anthony Volmink; 10. Tian Schoeman, 9. Tian Meyer (capt); 1. Boan Venter, 2. Joseph Dweba, 3. Aranos Coetzee, 4. Sintu Manjezi, 5. Walt Steenkamp, 6. Chris Massyn, 7. Junior Pokomela, 8. Gerhard Olivier. Reps: 16. Wilmar Arnoldi, 17. Erich de Jager, 18. Luan de Bruin, 19. JP du Preez, 20. Aidon Davis, 21. Ruan Pienaar, 22. George Whitehead, 23. Chris Smit.

WATCH: Welsh legend Jamie Roberts fronts up to the media after his arrival at the Stormers

Video Spacer

 

ADVERTISEMENT

Join free

Aotearoa Rugby Podcast | Episode 6

Sam Warburton | The Big Jim Show | Full Episode

Japan Rugby League One | Sungoliath v Eagles | Full Match Replay

Japan Rugby League One | Spears v Wild Knights | Full Match Replay

Boks Office | Episode 10 | Six Nations Final Round Review

Aotearoa Rugby Podcast | How can New Zealand rugby beat this Ireland team

Beyond 80 | Episode 5

Rugby Europe Men's Championship Final | Georgia v Portugal | Full Match Replay

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

J
Jon 8 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

35 Go to comments
j
john 11 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

44 Go to comments
FEATURE
FEATURE Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby? Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?
Search