Kings vs Sunwolves highlights: Late try gives Kings the win

Roar Guru

2nd April, 2016

2087 Reads

Kick-off: 2:05am (AEDT)
Venue: Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth
Referee: Rasta Rasivhenge
Betting: Kings $1.55, Sunwolves $2.45
TV: Live, Fox Sports

Kings
1. Sithembiso Sithole, 2. Edgard Marutlulle, 3. Jacoobie Adriaanse, 4. Steven Sykes (captain), 5. John-Charles Astle, 6. CJ Velleman, 7. Stefan Willemse, 8. Aidan Davis, 9. Ntando Kebe, 10. Louis Fouche, 11. Malcolm Jaer, 12. Shane Gates, 13. Stefan Watermeyer, 14. Siyanda Grey, 15. Jurgen Visser
Subs
16. Martin Ferreira, 17. Schalk Ferreira, 18. Tom Botha, 19. Schalk Oelofse, 20. Chris Cloete, 21. Kevin Luiters, 22. Elgar Watts, 23. Jaco van Tonder

Sunwolves
1. Keita Inagaki, 2. Shota Horie (captain), 3. Shinnosuke Kakinaga, 4. Hitoshi Ono, 5. Tim Bond, 6. Liaki Moli, 7. Andrew Durutalo, 8. Ed Quirk, 9. Kaito Shigeno, 10. Tusi Pisi, 11. Akihito Yamada, 12. Yu Tamura, 13. Harumichi Tatekawa, 14. Viliami Lolohea, 15. Riaan Viljoen
Subs
16. Futoshi Mori, 17. Masataka Mikami, 18. Takuma Asahara, 19. Shinya Makabe, 20. Yoshiya Hosoda, 21. Tomas Leonardi, 22. Yuki Yatomi, 23. Mifiposeti Paea

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The Sunwolves have been cut. (The Yomiuri Shimbun via AP Images)

Nathan Farebrother

Roar Guru

2nd April, 2016

2087 Reads

Match result:

A late try from Elgar Watts gave the Kings their first win of the Super Rugby season and condemned the newly created Sunwolves to an 0-5 record.

REPORT: KINGS DENY SUNWOLVES

Final score
Kings 33
Sunwolves 28

Match preview:

The Sunwolves take on the Kings in their first Super Rugby fixture away from home. Can the Japanese side make it a win, or will the South Africans trump them on home soil to record their first win of 2016? Join The Roar from 2:05am (AEDT) for live coverage and scores.

Over the last three games, the Kings have conceded a combined total of 157 points, all of which have come from teams that reside outside South Africa.

It doesn’t look any brighter heading into the match against the Super Rugby new boys, with Sunwolves’ flyhalf Tusi Pisi kicking with 94 per cent accuracy.

Still, this is the Kings’ best opportunity for a number of weeks – if not seasons.

Coach Deon Davids has made two changes to the team that lost to the Hurricanes by 22 points last weekend. Number 8 Aidan Davis enters the starting line-up, replacing Jacques Engelbrecht, while winger Luzuko Vulindlu, who is out with concussion, has his spot taken by Siyanda Grey.

By contrast, the Sunwolves have made numerous changes. Prop Shinnosuke Kakinaga, Australian Ed Quirk, and 26-year-old lock Tim Bond have forced their way into the starting line-up, relegating Takuma Asahera, Yoshiya Hosoda and Tomas Leonardi to the bench. Also, Liaki Moli shifts to blindside flanker after starting at lock in Round 6.

Get set for either one of two outcomes – a free-flowing game of running rugby with both teams not afraid to spread the ball from right to left, or a kicking duel where penalty attempts are the way to go.

Prediction
Even though this game will be played in South Africa, I don’t see the Kings trumping the Sunwolves.

Sunwolves by 5.

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