Thursday 25 July 2013 12:54, UK
The Southern Kings, who replaced the Lions in the Super Rugby competition this year, have had only one season to make their mark. And, as far as debuts go, the Eastern Cape franchise has not done too badly.
"They will really look to make the most of their maul and then they will be relying on the boot of Demetri Catrakilis. They are seasoned campaigners now and will be looking to frustrate the Lions as much as they can." The winner will be decided by log points rather than an aggregate score over the two matches but Delport says that the Kings' inability to score tries away from the rolling maul will not be a problem. "The Kings have not really showing that they can score tries but the level of defences that they have played against compared to what the Lions are used too are totally different - at Super Rugby level defences are much more organised and physical. They will be looking for the win first of all before they look at possible bonus point tries. "Another issue which could upset the Kings' preparations are the rumours surrounding their Director of Rugby. Alan Solomons has been linked with Edinburgh Rugby next season and while it is only speculation at this stage, off the field talks could have major implications on what happens on the field. You really need to have a happy and stable environment when you approaching key games like these." "The result of the play-offs will have a major impact on how these two franchises develop in the future. Relegation from any top tier tournament not only has massive financial implications but recruitment and development suffers if you do not play at the top level. For both sides it is massive for them to retain or regain Super Rugby status for next year." Southern Kings v Golden Lions, Fri 26 July, 6pm, Sky Sports 4 HD
