The Southern Kings registered their first win of the 2016 Super Rugby campaign when they beat the Sunwolves 33-28 at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on Saturday night.
The Kings led 23-20 at halftime after an entertaining first half, with both teams playing running rugby and scoring three tries each before the break.
The home team opened the scoring in the fourth minute of the match when big lock Steven Sykes barged over the line. Kings flyhalf Louis Fouche then easily slotted the conversion.
The Sunwolves hit back with a penalty six minutes later after Stefan Willemse was pinned for not rolling away at the breakdown. Sunwolves flyhalf Tusi Pisi made sure of the three points from the kicking tee.
However, the Kings would score a second try in the 18th minute when Malcolm Jaer crossed the line after another top pass by their in-form centre Shane Gates. The visitors, though, returned the compliment eight minutes later when Pisi found a gap and ran straight through the Kings defence.
The Kings hit back with a Fouche penalty in the 31st minute, before Gates, who had set up a couple of earlier chances for the home side, rounded off a long-range try to give the Kings an eight point lead.
But that lead was soon brought down to three points after Tim Bond scored a try with a brilliant run shortly before the break.
The second half was a lot more sedate, with both teams losing possession at crucial times of their attack.
The Sunwolves drew level in the 54th minute via a Pisi penalty, but Kings No 10 Fouche converted another two penalties in the 59th and 61st minutes respectively to keep the home side’s noses in front at 26-23.
The team from Japan did most of the attacking in the second half, but the Eastern Cape team managed to survive their attacks. But all the drama of the second came in three minutes of madness at the end of the second half.
Replacement flyhalf Elgar Watts scored a crucial try for a Kings after they forced a tighthead on the Sunwolves’ line in the 78th minute. Fouche converted the try to make it 33-23.
However, the Sunwolves hit back almost immediately when Akihito Yamada rounded off a great team try to make it a five-point game with only seconds left on the clock. But the Kings held on in the end for an historic win.
Points scorers
Southern Kings (23) – Tries: Steven Sykes, Malcolm Jaer, Shane Gates, Elgar Watts. Conversion Louis Fouche (2). Penalties: Fouche (3)
Sunwolves (20) – Tries: Shota Horie, Tusi Pisi, Tim Bond, Akihito Yamada. Conversion: Pisi. Penalty: Pisi (2).
– African News Agency (ANA)
