The Cheetahs say they feel ‘cheated’ after it was revealed they will not be facing the Kings, but a Border Bulldogs/SWD Eagles combination in their pre-season match on Saturday.
rugby365
It was confirmed on Wednesday that there will be no players from the EP Kings in the team that will meet the Cheetahs in East London on Saturday – with the bulk of the starting XV made up by the Bulldogs and a few Eagles making up the numbers.
The EP Kings, Bulldogs and SWD are supposed to combine to form the Southern Kings – a franchise keen on gaining entry into Super Rugby in 2013.
As part of the process to ‘prepare’ the Kings for Super Rugby, the five current South African franchises – the Stormers, Bulls, Sharks, Lions and Cheetahs – are obliged to play the Kings before the competition gets underway next month.
However, the Cheetahs – who have named a near full-strength selection – will face a very diluted team on Saturday.
It is a move that has not pleased the Cheetahs management.
“We would have liked to have faced the Kings’ A-Team … instead we are facing a Bulldogs/SWD combination,” Cheetahs backline coach Hawies Fourie told this website – adding that they are fielding all their fist-choice players who are fit and available.
“It is disappointing, as we go to the trouble of going out there to play this game and then we don’t even face the Kings,” Fourie said, adding: “It takes away a lot of the logic of playing these games.
“We are being forced to play against these teams and then we end up facing a second-string team … it doesn’t make much sense, but there is nothing we can do about it.”
Fourie revealed that the players who don’t play this weekend will be involved in a game with the Griffons in Welkom next Tuesday. The following Saturday they face the Stormers in Cape Town and a week later they take on the Bulls with two teams – the Friday night at Loftus Versfeld their our second string selection will face a similar Bulls team and the Saturday in Polokwane their first-choice players will tackle the Bulls’ A-Team.
The Cheetahs’ backline guru confirmed that it was a conscious decision to have a more brutal build-up to the start of the season than they have had in the past.
“We have always made a slow start to the season,” Fourie said, adding: “And that is very important to us.
“We decided to risk it, as there is the prospect of more pre-season injuries.
“However, we have never been properly prepared at the start of the season and we only managed to find the right combinations after four to six weeks, then only started winning.
“We feel that if we want to make an impact on the competition we have to hit the ground running and be up for it from the outset.”
I just don’t understand the Kings mentality!
Here’s a Franchise who wants to make themselves participate in Super Rugby in future, in fact they DEMAND that right (rightly or wrongly depending from whichever viewpoint you argue it) to participate in Super Rugby.
Surely then you produce your absolutely best side possible for the warm-ups against the Cheetahs & Bulls in the warm-ups, to donner a point home and say look how closely we contested against these sides or how well we won or whatever, strenghtening your Franchise’s claim for Super Rugby participation.
But nah, in stead they send a kak side out against the Cheetahs on purpose….
For what bloody reason under the sun do you do that?
I would also have been miffed if I was the Cheetahs… in fact I am miffed anyway and I’m not a Cheetahs supporter!
Donner them Cheetahs, donner them to Kingdom come, it is shameful!
@ grootblousmile:
Ja wat this doesn’t make sense GBS, as you say they should be trying their best to do as well as possible, maybe if the Cheetahs had decided to send a weakened team then it could possibly be understood but with a near full strength Cheetahs team playing its just not on. Maybe they know of behind the scenes developments we aren’t aware of perhaps there has been a U-turn at higher level and Kings not going to play Super rugby? A bit unfair though to wish Cheetahs to donner the team they are playing beacause it seems like its EP that are not playing ball whereas Border/SWD are putting their players out there – unless the team made up of 2nd stringers from Border/SWD.
Wat kan mens se, wie sal ook verstaan wat Cheeky en Puke Watson dink?
The Kings have a 1st rate team?
Buggered if I understand it either! Solly’s assertion that he is protecting his players is hogwash. If you want to compete in Super Rugby you will be playing tough matches evey week! Sure 5 matches in 20 days is rough, but have two teams, and rotate the players. They will have more than enough rest playing Vodacom Cup anyway.
After getting hammered by Boland last year, methinks the Kings have lost their self “imposed” belief that they are at Super rugby level! The mirror has spoken lol
Hmmmm just read on News 24, that the Scots want to sign WP Nel for 2013! Interesting, he wasn’t in the frame for Bok selection. Seems the Bok selectors are not as good as spotting talent. They didn’t exactly rate Wian du preez either.
The Southern Kings should be called the Southern Circus… and they should all play with red noses and be sponsored by the biggest clowns of the whole bunch… SARU.
6@ Cheetah4eva:
They only ever see the talent in the glamour unions. Werner Kruger gets a few caps and man shamed by the Ozzies, but WP Nel will remain at the VRYSTAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT!
8 @ Loosehead:
Pasop, jou Oranje oogklap is vasgegom….
8 @ Loosehead, You have a point, how many top props only got recognition after moving to other unions
Toks vd Linde, and Daan Human come to mind
Dit n welberekende stap van die Kings om hul tweede bestes teen die Vrystaters te laat speel. Indien hulle dus ten koste van Cheethas by Superrugby ingelyf word kan die Cheethas nie sê, maar ons bestes het julle bestes ofgef@k nie.
“Dit is n”
miskien moet grens en swd eerder kyk na n venootskap met boland,op is nou maar een maal second rate maak nie saak wie hulle afrigter en bestuur is nie cheeky=tappit=anc strooipop
‘Kings’ en ‘2nd rate’ loop saam soos Oupa en Elvis, kettie en klip en poepol en ambei.
14 @ KWAGGA ROBERTSE:
Bwahahaha
6@ Cheetah4eva:
Had a look at the article and it speculates about a Scottish club looking to recruit him, gosh rugby is becoming more and more like football where you have endless rumours doing the rounds just ahead of transfer windows. Anyway had a quick look at Edinburgh and Glasgow rugby websites and seen nothing about it there, will keep an eye and see if something more concrete comes up. If he only starts in 2013 and will probably have to wait quite a while to qualify for Scotland on residency grounds, is it 3 or 4 years?, then he will be around 30, now I’ve heard folk saying props get better with age but that wouldn’t give him much time to play international rugby if he is even considered good enough. It is encouraging from a Scottish club rugby point of view that someone may be considering bringing in a good player from outside, I have thought for a while our club scene could do well to form partnerships with some of the unions in SA and have some really good young up and coming players who are not yet regular starters at Super 15 level come over and play for loan spells.
Interesting one Cheetah but when I first saw your post I thought WP Nel had found a Scottish granny to be able to play for Scotland in 2013
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