‘Kings can make Super Rugby surprise’
19 Sep 2012
Andries Strauss believes the Southern Kings can make an immediate impact in Super Rugby next season.
Last week, it was confirmed that Cheetahs centre Strauss and Sharks lock Steven Sykes signed new deals with the Kings for 2013. They were the first recruitments to join the Eastern Cape franchise since its Super Rugby status was confirmed in August.
However, with the Kings only given a one-year guarantee in the competition, it’s believed that they will struggle to build a competitive squad as players would be hesitant to commit to a team that is likely to face relegation (the last-placed South African franchise will face the Lions in two rounds of promotion-relegation play-offs).
But Strauss reckons this belief could change.
‘Seeing a guy like Steven Sykes signing for the Kings motivated me to join them,’ Strauss told keo.co.za. ‘His addition proved that the Kings will be able to sign the players needed to do well next season. Hopefully more players will start making the same move too.
‘I also see it as a good career move for me,’ he continued. ‘I’ve struggled with form during my time with the Cheetahs. I think I can play better rugby. A different scenery at the Kings could be the change I need to improve.’
It will be a tough challenge for the Kings next year.
Super Rugby trends have proven that franchises struggle in their debut campaigns. The Western Force and Melbourne Rebels were the wooden spoonists after their first runs in 2006 and 2011 respectively, and continue to finish in the bottom-half of the table. The Cheetahs and Lions have also disappointed since their split from the Cats initiative six years ago.
The Kings will also have to deal with Saru’s expectation of notable transformation in team selections. Out of the 51 players the EP Kings have fielded in the Currie Cup First Division so far, 15 have been players of colour.
However, Strauss believes the Kings will manage if they recruit smartly.
‘The rumours that the Kings might sign a few Argentine players is promising,’ said Strauss. ‘Experience, especially international experience, is vital for any team.
‘There are only so many Springboks, and most of them are signed to the bigger franchises. So getting in some players, who boast international experience, will help the team do well, and they’ll be able to pass on their knowledge to the younger guys.
‘I know the Force and Rebels didn’t do well in their first couple of seasons, but the Kings have a better platform to work from. They’re not working from scratch. A guy like [Kings director of rugby] Alan Solomons has been with the team for a while now.
‘So the Kings can do well. I think it’s possible to avoid last place in the South African conference if the correct steps are taken.’
By Gareth Duncan
203 Comments
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19 Sep 2012, 11:12 am
Words of a desperate man.
19 Sep 2012, 11:28 am
You’re living in Cuckoo Land, Strauss.
Repeat my previously-stated belief: zero respect for any South African player who signs for the Kings.
19 Sep 2012, 11:29 am
thought this was all about transformation? Sykes and Strauss need to work on getting dark tans….
19 Sep 2012, 11:29 am
Jaja, but luister before the day is out – I will have my surprise for all of you. Even the kont Brigadeur Van Huil. In fact those blou Prometheus wannabes gonna oak groen mielies when they see the truth.
Heyneke Meyer has tried to hide this stuff, threats to my gesiggie.
but I am going ahead, the truth always sal mom.
So OK. You can hear exactly what ghe says on Walkie Talki.
its not delicious. i tell you verily, he mentions ***. and Chicken, Also he rocks the MIC – disgusting words, sal mask kuiken flesh op jou after carriage.
Not only that, also exclusive footage from New Zealand, not shown on SA TV, heyneke was PWNED by the presenters.
As jy precious is, moenie kyk nie, asseblief moenie kyk – please do not watch, whatever you do , do not click the link.
I will post youtube later.
Tsotsiens
19 Sep 2012, 11:33 am
@PielNeus-4: Please do , I enjoyed your last one lol.
As for teh Kings , this sounds like last week when Botha warned the ABS forwards , I cringed back then also , in Botha’s defense , he played brilliants this past weekend and really made good on his promise.
Cant see it happening again.
19 Sep 2012, 11:44 am
With Sykes, Strauss and a few other new signings they will certainly be more competitive thatn if the current side had to play a Super Rugby game.
This wasnt the main aim of the Kings though was it? To sign semi over the hill blokes from other provinces in the hope that they are ‘slightly more competive’ in the one and only year they’ll compete in Super Rugby?
19 Sep 2012, 11:48 am
@clownface-3: what does that mean to you, 15 black players on the field?
19 Sep 2012, 11:53 am
@John Galt-6: you’re right, the MAIN aim of the Kings is to activate the SARU-affiliated Super Rugby franchise based in the South Eastern Cape region of South Africa!
Transformation is a responsibility if EVERY franchise and union in SA.
19 Sep 2012, 11:55 am
Ag ja. Who knows, anything can happen, they cannot do any worse than the current Lions mob.
They need to get more than just a couple of good players in though. They need a good squad of 30 plus top level guys if they are to compete and stay there.
Who do they have so far?
Watson (I think I just threw up a little in my mouth), These 2 and who else?
Karl Kikilus? It’s not been confirmed yet,
Maybe Kempson will come out of retirement.
19 Sep 2012, 12:14 pm
It’s bound to be the wrong sort of surprise. Like a Hindenburg surprise. Or a Titanic surprise. Not an oh-my-gosh the Proteas actually won some serious silverware surprise.
19 Sep 2012, 12:16 pm
of course these okes could surprise but historically and statistically speaking…they’ll probably finish last.
19 Sep 2012, 12:17 pm
@TheTackler-10:
19 Sep 2012, 12:20 pm
@Brigadier Van Zyl-11:
There is not even a case of ‘probable’. They will.
SA Rugby sold this region down the river – damage will take years to repair.
19 Sep 2012, 12:33 pm
@stormersboy-9: Can’t do any worse than the Lions? You think?
Consider for a moment that Sykes and Strauss are their flagship signings. Their stars, along with Luke. Think about the relative quality of those players alongside the better players currently in the Lions set-up. Would you say they’re better or worse than, say, Jantjes, Mapoe, Josh Strauss, Pat Cilliers, Jaco Taute.
Where, in the SA pecking order of locks, is Sykes? And Strauss? How many centres are ahead of him? If these are the stars of the Kings team so far, how could they possibly “not do worse than the Lions”?
Regardless what Strauss has to say here, I see record margins in match upon match for them next year.
19 Sep 2012, 12:37 pm
So we allow the Kings into the Super 15, under the smoke screen of “development/ transformation” – yet they sign all hasbeens/ neverwas players and now are considering to sign “some Argentine players of promise” How on God’s green earth is this for the better of SA rugby?
Cheeky should just admit this is all about MONEY and zero about development!!
19 Sep 2012, 12:38 pm
I just hope we don’t get into a situation where every big name player is link with the Kings like when the Lions were the richest club in South Africa for like 5 mins. Plus Why they looking abroad they should have enough player in estern cape to make the team competitive. This just shows 5 teams is just too much for us.
19 Sep 2012, 12:47 pm
@patch-16: which franchise in SA has enough players in their region to make them competitive?
19 Sep 2012, 12:47 pm
@katman-14:
Can’t be to hard to better the Lions
Kings just have to:
1. Not finish last on the log – 14th place will do
2. Not be essentially insolvent
3. Not fluck over their regional partners
All the best to the Kings
19 Sep 2012, 12:56 pm
@capetown-18:
can’t be that hard!
19 Sep 2012, 13:00 pm
@katman-14: As far as log performance they have low expectations, but either way they won’t be able to stay there, the lions CC team will still beat them come playoff time.
19 Sep 2012, 13:00 pm
@capetown-18: This is only about their performance in the Super Rugby competition, so only your point 1 applies. And while you may not see a difference between a season of closely contested games and a season of record margin drubbings, most people can.
The Kings will not finish anywhere but last. But it’s the magnitude of their humiliation I’m talking about. And that will be worse than the Lions, by some distance.
19 Sep 2012, 13:02 pm
They should BE mighty Elephants not the Kings
Sadly Strauss, as you will find out next year when Kings play Crusaders, the reality will be very different.
Political Kings
19 Sep 2012, 13:14 pm
The Kings will be very competitive with the likes of very well established and well known players like Andries Sykes and Steven Strauss in their squad. Add those two to the likes of…….. ummm… yeah, no, very competitive hey.
19 Sep 2012, 13:25 pm
The problem is the Kings need to win and for that they need players, players witch was bought by the Sharks, Bulls and WP (white and black). What school boy will want to play for a side that looses every game (Lions, Cheetahs).
The main aim now is to get the second last spot on the Super 15 log, and with the way the Bulls and Cheetahs played in this years competition, sould not be to hard with one or two more players.
And nobody bitched in 1991-92 when the Natal Union was PUT in the premier devision just to win it 2-3 years later ( Not saying the Kings will do it).
It is not just about having a BLACK team it is about getting them to stay in rugby and get through the ranks and to see there is a way other that Bulls Sharks or Stormers
19 Sep 2012, 13:27 pm
@katman-21:
when looking at the lions, i see several seasons of failure, you see 1 season of close losses
suppose its a case of wrotten tomAtoe or slighly under rippened tomARtoe
http: //en. wikipedia. org /wiki /Lions_(Super_Rugby)
Expanding on point 1, the kings just have to better an of season points difference of -315 (see super 14, 2010)
and hey, the lions will have had the advantage of having played 1 less match
19 Sep 2012, 13:33 pm
“Out of the 51 players the EP Kings have fielded in the Currie Cup First Division so far, 15 have been players of colour.”
TL TL TL
Very dissapointing. Cheeky I expect 50% black by 2016 because you boast 50% black in your academy … That is Mvovo black not Argentine black or Strauss white.
19 Sep 2012, 13:36 pm
@RL-26:
its of lesser importance what the detractors “expect”
its of greater important what the supporters expect
or put more simply: the detractors opinions dont’ count for sheeep (t)
19 Sep 2012, 13:46 pm
@RL-26: What is your objection to the Kings? Serious question. You don’t like black people? You think that rugby should not develop? What is it? Come out with it.
19 Sep 2012, 13:49 pm
@RL-26: Or is it that Cheeky didn’t play coward, when Pre-1994 Boks did.
19 Sep 2012, 13:56 pm
Welcome to the Kings Strauss. Nothing makes you tough as a South African, as when your own country men don’t wish you well, and give you scraps to live with. It tends to bring out the best in you, makes you strong, and gives you that silent motivation to prove them wrong. Every dog gets his day. We’ll show them.
19 Sep 2012, 13:58 pm
And something ells it is about developing black and white players and to keep them not like the Bulls who pulls out a Cheque book to buy them
19 Sep 2012, 14:00 pm
@Transformation-8: Cheeky said for Transformation in South Africa it was important that the Kings play superrugby.
@rossoneri-28: pulls your claws in woman.
19 Sep 2012, 14:05 pm
@katman-14:
Katman, even if they end up in last place, not having won a single match, they still would not have done worse than Muir’s Lions of 2007.
19 Sep 2012, 14:09 pm
I look forward to the Argentina Kings catching a couple of century point hidings next year…
No banana skin for the banana boys Lions style here… Naah, the Black and White Dynamite can look forward to a nice BP gimme and a decent contribution to win margin.
Farkyou very much
19 Sep 2012, 14:09 pm
@rossoneri-30: Man you are on a rugby website why are all your posts so political?
19 Sep 2012, 14:13 pm
101 – 5 to the Sharks sounds about reasonable…
Along with 75 – 12 to the Bulls, 30-0 to the Stormers (averse to tries) and 120-33 to the Cheetahs (D a bit dodgy)…
Schweet.
19 Sep 2012, 14:20 pm
@katman-21:
Please explain how in the professional area – financial mismanagement is of no relevance
And
With super rugby having regional basis and context, flucking over the regional partners is of no relevance
Pls do enlighten us
19 Sep 2012, 14:21 pm
@Skeppie-35: Very rich of you since you were the one denying the true facts of apartheid just to justify the existence of the springboks pre 1992.Your denial is very similar to holocaust denialists.
19 Sep 2012, 14:23 pm
@rossoneri-29: I am with you on this. Unfortunately the majority of bloggers on this site do not understand the Kings situation. Either that or they do not have the mental capacity to. There is no use in trying to engage with them.
19 Sep 2012, 14:24 pm
Dream on Andries.
2014 Lions back in super15
19 Sep 2012, 14:24 pm
What does Strauss care he will be binned for 4 weeks in the first game, he is a tip tackle idiot, and he will definitly get a longer sentence next time. The more high profile the players the more you pay so perhaps next year SARU will have to bail the Kings out the dwang.
The Lions will have to get used to the isolation because the relegation match is never going to happen, the Lions are out until they revamp the Super 100. The same as the Kings were promised a rose garden since 2003 the Lions will not get that match.
Julias would run SARU just as well as the ******* now in charge.
19 Sep 2012, 14:25 pm
Kings in super rugby?
Joke of 2013
19 Sep 2012, 14:25 pm
@wnbb-38: What the hell is wrong with you? I stated about 10 times on the last thread how disgusting apartheid was. I just did not beleive that rugby should be used as a political tool. Maybe read other people threads before making silly comments
19 Sep 2012, 14:26 pm
Some ou’s never learn humility – maybe its a learned condition, the lack of self reflection
In year’s 0 and 1 we all heard how PdV (by comparison the Kings) was to doom SA rugby for eternity whilst Meyer (by comparison the Lions) would have led the nation to rugby utopia
After 7 matches in Year 1:
* Pdv: 71% win ratio
* Meyer: 42%
Them there’s facts, yet none reflect and learn
Which is not to say the Kings will achieve fantastic success, rather stop being doom & gloom poephols without having afforded fair and equal opportunity.
19 Sep 2012, 14:27 pm
@XV-39: She is absolutely coorect.On every website they are huffing and puffing saying that they would rather support the Australasians against the Kings,but they throw a hissy-fit when certain sections of the Cape community support the All Blacks.Go figure.
19 Sep 2012, 14:27 pm
@Heavens Game-36: can you imagine how conflicted the PE based capesaders will be when the crusders roll into town – who to support oh dear oh dear.
19 Sep 2012, 14:27 pm
@Skeppie-43: You are a denialist.Live with it.
19 Sep 2012, 14:31 pm
@capetown-44: FAIR AND EQUAL, not quite how they got into the Super 15, hey but life is unfair and the world does not owe anybody anything.
19 Sep 2012, 14:34 pm
I vehemently deny the assertion that the Kings in S15 next year will be a boost for Transformation (whatever the fck this actually means)
I categorically deny that I know what thefuck Transformation in rugby actually means, indeed what thefuck Transformation in its entirety actually means until someone can actually define it.
I definitely deny the any sort of claim that the Kings will be competent next year… and the year after next… and thereafter still… I also deny their claim to any fanciful right that they actually deserve to play S15…
I am a Kings Denier…
I wear this badge with pride.
19 Sep 2012, 14:40 pm
@katman-21: what was the “magnitude of humiliation” – this phrase here is the refuge of the incompetent – when the lions lost ALL their games in 2010? i recall HG calling the lions “surrender m.onkeys” that year
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