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The Southern Kings made history on Saturday night when they beat the Western Force 22-10 in their Super Rugby opener at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium. The Force led 10-5 at half time but did not add a point in the second half. Sergeal Petersen, the tear away winger for the Kings scored their try in the first half and he got the second try on 59 minutes.
Demetri Catrakillis scored with four pressure packed penalties in the second half as the Kings inched further and further ahead. The Force were desperate in the final ten minutes but the Kings refused to buckle and held wave after wave of attack at bay. The crowd was on their feet and were rewarded by an inspirational display from the Southern Kings – written off by many before the season even started.
Captain Luke Watson was magnificent early on but had to go off before half time after taking a blow to the throat. His replacement Jacques Engelbrecht was just as impressive and had a brilliant game. The Force could not handle the aggression thrown at them every time they tried to attack. The Kings dominated in the line outs and had the better of the scrums. Petersen’s second try included a beautiful hand off, pace and strength, as he crashed over in the corner. It was a special night for the team, the crowd, the Eastern Cape and of course, Alan Solomons, Matt Sexton and the rest of the coaching team. Southern Kings – we salute you. Well played men!
