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Stormers suffer shock Super Rugby pre-season defeat to the lowly Southern Kings

The Southern Kings celebrate a try against Scarlets in the PRO14 two years ago. (Photo by Michael Sheehan/Gallo Images/Getty Images)

The Southern Kings gave the star-studded Stormers a timely wake-up call.

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At a rain-soaked Loerie Park Sports Ground, in Knysna, the Kings scored the only try of a drab match – winning 13-3.

Playing with the breeze at their backs and in the pouring rain in the first half, the Kings managed to keep the Stormers scoreless in the first half-hour.

Continue reading below…

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The hosts capitalised on the pressure they piled on the Stormers, with prop Rossouw de Klerk going over for the opening score.

Flyhalf Bader Pretorius added the conversion.

The Stormers replied with a penalty from flyhalf Jean-Luc du Plessis, to make it 3-7 after 35 minutes – which was also the half-time score.

Despite had the wind at their backs, the Stormers failed to crack the Kings’ defence after the break.

Pretorius added two penalties for the only scores of the second half.

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The Kings will look forward to their next outing, a Pro14 derby clash with fellow South African franchise the Cheetahs – in Nelson Mandela Bay next Saturday, January 25.

The Stormers’ final pre-season outing is against the Sharks in the first match of the Super Sunday doubleheader in Soweto.

The scorers:

For the Southern Kings:
Try: De Klerk
Con: Pretorius
Pens: Pretorius 2

For the Stormers:
Pen: Du Plessis

Teams

Southern Kings: 15 Masixole Banda, 14 Christopher Hollis, 13 Sibusiso Sithole, 12 Tertius Kruger, 11 Yaw Penxe, 10 Bader Pretorius, 9 Theo Maree, 8 Lusanda Badiyana, 7 Bobby der Wee, 6 Luyolo Dapula, 5 John-Charles Astle (captain), 4 Gideon van Niekerk, 3 Rossouw de Klerk, 2 Alandre van Rooyen, 1 Xandre Vos.
Replacements – from: Robin Stevens, Schalk Ferreira, Ig Prinsloo, Ashton Fortuin, Jerry Sexton, Riaan Olivier, Stefan Ungerer, Courtney Winnaar, John Jackson, Edmund Ludik, Andell Loubser.

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Stormers: 15 David Kriel, 14 Seabelo Senatla, 13 Michal Hazner, 12 Cornel Smit, 11 Leolin Zas, 10 Jean-Luc du Plessis, 9 Godlen Masimla, 8 Johan du Toit, 7 De Wet Marais, 6 Jaco Coetzee, 5 Ben-Jason Dixon, 4 Hilton Lobberts, 3 Frans Malherbe (captain), 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Ali Vermaak.
Replacements – from: Schalk Erasmus, Leon Lyons, DJ Putter, Ruan Laubser, Hannes Gous, Paul de Wet, Abner van Reenen, Sihle Njezula, Lyle Hendricks.

Referee: Stuart Berry

– Rugby365

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c
cw 6 hours ago
The coaching conundrum part one: Is there a crisis Down Under?

Thanks JW for clarifying your point and totally agree. The ABs are still trying to find their mojo” - that spark of power that binds and defines them. Man the Boks certainly found theirs in Wellington! But I think it cannot be far off for ABs - my comment about two coaches was a bit glib. The key point for me is that they need first a coach or coaches that can unlock that power and for me that starts at getting the set piece right and especially the scrum and second a coach that can simplify the game plans. I am fortified in this view by NBs comment that most of the ABs tries come from the scrum or lineout - this is the structured power game we have been seeing all year. But it cannot work while the scrum is backpeddling. That has to be fixed ASAP if Robertson is going to stick to this formula. I also think it is too late in the cycle to reverse course and revert to a game based on speed and continuity. The second is just as important - keep it simple! Complex movements that require 196 cm 144 kg props to run around like 95kg flankers is never going to work over a sustained period. The 2024 Blues showed what a powerful yet simple formula can do. The 2025 Blues, with Beauden at 10 tried to be more expansive / complicated - and struggled for most of the season.

I also think that the split bench needs to reflect the game they “want” to play not follow some rote formula. For example the ABs impact bench has the biggest front row in the World with two props 195cm / 140 kg plus. But that bulk cannot succeed without the right power based second row (7, 4, 5, 6). That bulk becomes a disadvantage if they don’t have a rock solid base behind them - as both Boks showed at Eden Park and the English in London. Fresh powerful legs need to come on with them - thats why we need a 6-2 bench. And teams with this split can have players focused only on 40 minutes max of super high intensity play. Hence Robertson needs to design his team to accord with these basic physics.



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