Griquas edge Kings
13 Feb 2013
Griquas got the win but Southern Kings Director of Rugby Alan Solomons got questions answered in his team’s final Super Rugby pre-season outing.
Griquas scored late to win 30-27 and Solomons told Keo.co.za on the balance of performance the right team got the winning result.
‘Pre-season matches are about more than the result but every player and team wants a winning one,’ he said. ‘We did not get enough ball to enforce our way of play and all credit to the effort of Griquas. They dominated the lineout and denied us a platform. It is hard to play any game without ball from set piece and if the boys didn’t know that they certainly will now.’
The Kings historic Super Rugby debut is Solomons’ focus and he said bigger than the result in Port Elizabeth was that captain Luke Watson and lock Steven Sykes got through the match in what was their first appearance after lengthy injury lay-offs.
‘We gained from those objectives in that the players returning from injury got the necessary hit out, but in any sport the objective is to win. That we did not get and we did not deserve a winning result. There has never been any illusion about the challenge in Super Rugby proper but we will be in a position to field a match squad close to full strength. That wasn’t looking possible a few weeks ago.
‘It is a credit to our medical and conditioning staff and to the desire of the players.’
Solomons said he was thankful for the commitment of Griquas and how important the match would be in the mental preparation for the historic season opener in a week.
‘Griquas approached it like it was a Super Rugby match and it was the physical and mental preparation you can’t replicate at training. We’ve got lots to work with in the next week. But take nothing away from Griquas. They came here to win and they did so.’
The Kings play the Force in Port Elizabeth to start their Super Rugby history.
By Mark Keohane
807 Comments
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14 Feb 2013, 09:17 am
@gunther-147:
14 Feb 2013, 09:19 am
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-146:
No, to break it down to its simplest parts, if the Bulls win the Super 15, I don’t want to share the glory with whichever unions added 1 or 2 players to the so called “franchise”.
I want that glory all for the Bulls who in the hearts of the supporters is no different to the 75 year old team with the red flower on the shirt.
This distinction between union and “franchise” is bogus. It’s the same brand, and the same set of supporters, same home ground. Same team.
14 Feb 2013, 09:20 am
@gunther-147:
every single afircan country ends up with these kinds of leaders.
i guess all of africa’s been bad then.
(rolling eyes smiley)
14 Feb 2013, 09:21 am
@gunther-134:
14 Feb 2013, 09:22 am
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-139: warm up to our debut Super Rugby season doofus…
you reckon the Bulls didn’t play warm ups when Meyer was coach and LOST all their games in 2002?
’97 – finished 8th
’98 – 11th
’99 – 12th
’00 – 11th
’01 – 12th
’02 – 12th
in that SIX years the Bulls played 66 games & only won 10 drew 5
hou jou fokke.n bek
14 Feb 2013, 09:24 am
@Transformation-155:
Ah, but bakc then the Bulls were still better than the best SA team that didn’t qualify for Super Rugby.
The same cannot be said of the Kings, who are worse than the Lions, and worse than the Griquas Vodacom Cup team. At home in PE nogal.
14 Feb 2013, 09:27 am
@Tacitus-149: well which of the “expansion teams” has ever won more than 6 games in a season – force, rebels, lions, cheetahs.
14 Feb 2013, 09:30 am
@Tacitus-152: The Stormers/WP are the same. We do not make the distinction. Peter Grant plays in Japan during the CC, so there is him I guess.
14 Feb 2013, 09:30 am
@Tacitus-152:
The fact that it’s bogus is due to the lack of control by SARU, and some unions greed. EP and Border broke away from the Coastal Sharks as did SWD from the Stormers, because the Sharks and Stormers were busy enticing their top players to join their unions. Even Griquas had threatened not to continue as part of the Cheetahs bid due to a similar problem with FS Cheetahs.
14 Feb 2013, 09:30 am
@Tacitus-156: Any idea of the “crowd” attendance?
14 Feb 2013, 09:34 am
@BrumbiesBoy-160:
No idea. Ask Transie.
14 Feb 2013, 09:35 am
@Tacitus-152:
ok, thanks for simplifying your position.
may i point out to you that your view is very similar to the ‘mercenary’ English who bus players in from all corners of the globe simply put a white jersey on them and then laud their strengths as successes as a union. it’s having your cake and eating it and if it works for you, fine.
i appreciate and respect your steadfast loyalty and allegiance to the Bulls as a union though.
14 Feb 2013, 09:35 am
The Stormers lost a warm up game, the real tournament starts this weekend.
14 Feb 2013, 09:38 am
@David-159:
“EP and Border BROKE away from the Coastal Sharks”..?..
you have a way with words.
14 Feb 2013, 09:38 am
@stormersboy-163:
Yeah, but against another franchise. Unfortunately SARU has screwed the Kings by their late decision that prevented them from signing some stronger players.
14 Feb 2013, 09:39 am
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-162:
What’s the alternative? Limiting players to those who grow up in Pretoria?
You realise we have like 4 or 5 good rugby schools, to the 10 or 20 in the Cape?
This is the modern age.
If you bring a guy in at age group level – (18-21 years), that’s as homegrown as it’s going to get.
Fact is, the Bulls are not a Pretoria brand. I’ve been in Pretoria only about 5 times in my life, and I’m a lifelong staunch Bulls fan.
The Bulls are quite entitled to recruit from anywhere in SA, as their support base stretches across the entire SA – and right into Namibia, as a matter of fact.
14 Feb 2013, 09:41 am
@Tacitus-156: the Cheetahs won the “Reconciliation Cup” thry must be favourites to top the Conference.
14 Feb 2013, 09:41 am
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-164:
They did. The myth that the Sharks bought them out, is just that. The Sharks only paid for the rights to hold all the games at Kings Park. It was only when the 5th franchise came available that EP and Border decided not to continue with Sharks and put in their own bid with SWD.
14 Feb 2013, 09:42 am
@Transformation-155:
oh ok.
the Bulls were still in the comp deservedly Transie as you may remember it was determined by Promo/Releg which teams would get to play Super Rugby back then.
as a matter of interest i will compare the Kings scores in their first year to the Bulls scores in theirs.
14 Feb 2013, 09:49 am
@Tacitus-156: ” Ah, but bakc then the Bulls were still better
than the best SA team that didn’t qualify
for Super Rugby.”
they were still s.hit in Super rugby as the above results clearly show…there’s no qualification for Super rugby FRANCHISES in SA or in NZ
14 Feb 2013, 09:49 am
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-169:
The Bulls qualified once and EP once.
14 Feb 2013, 09:50 am
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-162:
yes no doubt Ryan Giggs would much preferred to have been playing on a mud patch in Swansea yesterday evening than for MU in the Bernabeu.
Because, you know…that is where he is from,innit?
14 Feb 2013, 09:50 am
some people.. especially those with ardent deprecating glee at the expectant imminent demolition of the EP Kings aspirations in super rugby .. have a relatively short spate of memory retention in terms of their own indestructible and worthy super rugby franchises
cast your denial driving minds back a little to these awesome results
1999
Bulls played 11 – won 1
Cats played 11 – won 1
2000
Bulls played 11 – won 1
Sharks played 11 – won 1
2001
Bulls played 11 – won 2
2002
Sharks played 11 – won 4
Cats played 11 – won 1
Bulls played 11 – won 0 (points scored 232 – points against 500)
2003
Sharks played 11 – won 3
Cats played 11 – won 2
2004
Cats played 11 – won 1
2005
Cats played 11 – won 1
Sharks played 11 – won 1
2006
Cats played 13 – won 2
Force played 13 – won 1
2008
Cheetahs played 13 – won 1
Lions played 13 – won 2
2009
Cheetahs played 13 – won 2
2010
Lions played 13 – won 0
2011
Lions played 18 – won 3
Rebels played 18 – won 3
2012
Force played 18 – won 3
Lions played 18 – won 3
Lions / Cats have had over a decade to pull themselves off the floor which they were unable to do
through the early part of S12
Sharks, Bulls, and Cats were consistent bottom rung performers
Bulls and Lions the only two teams in the competition ever to return Zero win results in a single season
All Kings gotta do is beat Force next week and they already 100% better performers in their inaugural super rugby year than Bulls of 2002 or Lions of 2010
So keep wishing the worst on this team of abject no hopers.. because some of the previous no hopers who were afforded the leg up that these same no hopers are unable to afford the team representing the very antithesis to their own inept prior performances.
14 Feb 2013, 09:51 am
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-169: @i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-169: ” Transie as you may remember it was
determined by Promo/Releg”
who did they play in the “promo/releg” games in 2002 the year they lost all their games?
14 Feb 2013, 09:52 am
@Transformation-170:
The point is the merit by which the weakest SA team is given a Super Rugby berth, as you well know.
Seems to me the Pumas or Leapards will put up a better show in the Super 15 than the Kings.
By your logic, just because the Pumas don’t win a game, you might as well put the Griffons or Border in their place. Irrespective of the fact that the Pumas are BETTER than Border or the Griffons.
It’s about deserving to be there. Once you prove that you are better than any other contender that missed out, then there can be no argument against the fact that you deserve to be there.
14 Feb 2013, 09:53 am
Why am I seeing so many guppie apologists cruising round this site? Reporting, blogging, poncing around….?
HG won’t like this. Sharksworld guppies stealing his ‘brothers in arms’ thunder.
14 Feb 2013, 09:54 am
@David-159: That’s not true. The Cheetahs and Griquas had their differences, but it was rarely about players. Many of the players with Griquas was lured to Kimberley through the Cheetahs franchise.
Griquas have a large say in the Cheetahs franchise, as does the Griffons with each union having 3 directors in the Cheetahs franchise management.
14 Feb 2013, 09:56 am
@skopdiekan-173: hehehe skop kicking a.ss & taking names…
14 Feb 2013, 09:59 am
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-162: give all the EP and WP (and FS players) back to their respective union then let see what a powerhouse of God given rugby your almighty hail Heyneke union is.
Same goes for Sharkshits
14 Feb 2013, 10:01 am
@Tacitus-175:
Transie will never understand your “Deserving/Merit” argument and stance.
He’s from the “Entitlement” team.
Anyway, the Bulls being superkak at superrugby 10+ years ago is as relevent as Griqualand West being CC powerhouses in 1900.
In my opinion there is no evidence or history to suggest that EP will ever be a rugby powerhouse on the SA landscape. Throw as much money at the problem as you want. youngsters will still flock to the academies of durban pretoria and cape town and real quality seniors will never sign for the kings because they do not want to get drilled every week and damage prospective international call ups.
The best they can hope for is to become the “western force” of our rugby landscape.
in my opinion anyway.
14 Feb 2013, 10:03 am
@Brigadier Van Zyl-180: Good post.
14 Feb 2013, 10:03 am
We back on this hamster wheel again
14 Feb 2013, 10:04 am
@Tacitus-175: such muddled thinking
” The point is the merit by which the weakest
SA team is given a Super Rugby berth, as
you well know.
Seems to me the Pumas or Leapards will
put up a better show in the Super 15 than
the Kings.”
really, is that why the EP Kings beat both in 1st Div Currie Cup last year?
FYI “merit” has NOT been used to determinevwho plays Super Rugby in SA since 2005 so just shove that idea
14 Feb 2013, 10:06 am
@skopdiekan-179:
what kak….
As I already said….as if Ryan Giggs would have preffered being in Swansea playing on a mud patch last night or Ronaldo playing for Porto and watching the game on the telly last night.?
No wait…..George Gregan would much preffered to have had his international career with Ghana or whomever the hell it was?
Or Skalk Burger would much rather be playing for Boland…because he is from the wine country and not the southern suburbs?
basically, your argument is twak.
14 Feb 2013, 10:07 am
@Brigadier Van Zyl-180: something you learnt from your grandparents i bet
14 Feb 2013, 10:14 am
laughable how people who were raised within & beneficiaries of SHELTERED EMPLOYMENT, education, finance are now the most vocal on merit having to be the criteria.
in 2006 nobody was talking merit, everyone just shut up when hoskins destroyed the Spears franchise, today all grootbek hehehe
14 Feb 2013, 10:18 am
@Tacitus-166:
no, of course not.
this is, as you say, the modern age and everybodies doing it.
i just think its not much different and really much of the sameness if the BBC management were to similarly utilise players from a ‘franchise catchment area’ in the same way. all it requires is the right ‘contractual specifics and determination of ownership’.
besides, if the Bulls win the Super Competiton, as they have before, i doubt there are many, if any, Falcons celebrating.
on that note, how many of the crusaders are actually from Christchurch, ditto the Chiefs? i’m just curious, although of course they do utilise franchise systems, i would be interested to know how many of their players come from outside of even that, in a given year.
@David-168:
ok, i will have to revisit some of this info.
for now i take your word for it.
14 Feb 2013, 10:19 am
If it were based on one season relegation / promotion system as so many are gleefully touting now.. and as it was done only once in 1997 when Stormers didn’t qualify as a result of a weak CC in 96
Then Lions would have been out long time ago… so too Cheetahs ..
and Bulls would have been out the back door in 1999 2001 or 2002
Spears should have been included in 2006-7 instead of Saru doing an abrupt about turn and perhaps by now they may be retaining some of their own home bred talents instead of them being consistently siphoned off to the highest bidder between Bulls or Sharks or WP
14 Feb 2013, 10:19 am
Happy Valentines Day
14 Feb 2013, 10:22 am
@David-171:
there you go.
@Brigadier Van Zyl-172:
no Brig, the point i’m trying yo make to Tac is that i agree with both contractng players from regions outside of a given teams player base/home ground AND the concept of a franchise area from which to draw players in to the given unions squads/teams if it helps the union compete better.
i agree with you.
14 Feb 2013, 10:23 am
@Brigadier Van Zyl-172:
but i also say franchising is a good thing too.
14 Feb 2013, 10:23 am
@Brigadier Van Zyl-180: ” In my opinion there is no evidence or
history to suggest that EP will ever be a
rugby powerhouse on the SA landscape.
Throw as much money at the problem as
you want. youngsters will still flock to the
academies of durban pretoria and cape
town”
there’s no evidence to the contrary either! the brumbies from canberra were s.hit in ’11, the blues from auckland were s.hit in ’12, the lions from joburg have been s.hit for more than a decade. – all capital city teams.
14 Feb 2013, 10:23 am
@Transformation-186:
Sheltered employment?
Leave Captain Cunteye out of this.
14 Feb 2013, 10:24 am
@Transformation-185:
please, don’t start. Almost every African country is a fckup of monster proportions.
If it’s not Idi Amin eating people, or Mugabe sending his wife to scape the last few sheckles of Zim’s exchequer together for her Hong Kong shopping trip. We have the Rwandans hacking each others arms off with machetes or the Congo and Angolan’s playing tik-tak-toe with landmines left by the never ending civil-war-a-year-athons. Oh, wait…our very own president showering his hiv away after adulterous *** and the many other laughable examples of his.
so never mind my grandparents, infinity higher up on the common decency ladder than yours.
thanks.
14 Feb 2013, 10:25 am
@skopdiekan-173:
thank you Skop, i will post the full first year stats for the Bulls when i have time.
it is interesting to compare the two teams, no doubt.
@Transformation-174:
lets not split hairs, Transie
14 Feb 2013, 10:25 am
Are Bulls brawling with each other
14 Feb 2013, 10:25 am
I’m grateful that Alan got his questions answered but in the words of the songwriter: “There are more questions than answers,” especially regarding the Kings.
14 Feb 2013, 10:26 am
@Brigadier Van Zyl-194: wtf you doing in this hell hole siphoning off the system.. you should be back where you belong where you would be so much better off and far far happier…
14 Feb 2013, 10:27 am
@skopdiekan-179:
come on, Skop
life doesn’t work that way anymore.
it’s modern times and everybodies doing, even the Kings
14 Feb 2013, 10:32 am
@Transformation-192:
hold on, i said the SA landscape.
Don’t compare the Brumbies and aukland with the Lions or even more laughably ….PE.
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