MyPE

Community Business Directory, Event Listings, News and Views from Gqeberha, Nelson Mandela Bay

View from the side: Southern Kings vs Stormers

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An early indication of what was to be on Saturday 11 March 2017 at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth was when I popped in to fetch my tickets on Friday. I was standing behind an enthusiastic supporter in blue and white with flashes of yellow who was telling me that a client had asked him to come around at 15h00 on Saturday and give him a quote to do some work. He took great delight in telling me; “Ek het vir hom gese, nee fok man die Stormers speel Saterdag en ek moet daar wees!” When asked if he knew whom the Stormers would be playing against, tongue in cheek (hopefully) he said; “Ek gee nie ‘n fok om nie!”

Which brings me back to the conundrum that the Southern Kings find themselves in – they need bums in seats which will translate to more money, better players, a quality sponsor and then the upward spiral will begin.

That task is a monumental one as the ONLY reason that most people will go to the stadium and vocally support the Southern Kings is if they start winning.

The various sideshows like the Future Kings, discounts, ticket giveaways and scantily clad cheerleaders are, I feel, a complete distraction from the task at hand which is to build a winning team that can actually beat a fellow South African team in this competition – in 15 starts against South African teams the Kings have never won and after every encounter the odds get longer and longer.

Proof that people support winners is that 9 938 people attended the game and most were supporting the Stormers.

The Kings started gamely enough and for 15 minutes led the Stormers 3-0 until Dillyn Leeds crashed over in the corner and after that it was just a matter of time before the Stormers ground the Kings into a 41-10 submission.

The Kings can take kudos for the first 12 minutes as they kept the pressure up on the Stormers with tight formations and play in the Stormers half – of course this got the local scribes hopes up as the possibility of an upset loomed.

Then the game descended into a little bit of a scrappy affair with a real bout of fisticuffs and, surprisingly, no yellow or red card despite evidence of beard pulling and fist moering.

https://twitter.com/NikkoHowland/status/840558142073245696

Things were looking as if the Kings could hold their heads high as they held the Stormers to their 27-10 lead right into the 74th minute. Infuriating to me was the lost opportunity at a certain three point penalty when the cocky Kings decided to rather try for the seven pointer and, failed.

From the 75th minute the Kings ran out of steam and were humiliated with a 14 point spanking in the space of 4 minutes.

The next home game is against the Lions on 25 March 2017 – if you are looking for entertainment then maybe you should rather go to the Port Elizabeth Port Festival on that day.

Scorers:

  • DHL Stormers 47 (17): Tries – Dillyn Leyds, Bjorn Basson, Rynhard Elstadt, Robert du Preez, Justin Phillips, EW Viljoen; Conversions – Robert du Preez (2), Kurt Coleman (2); Penalties – Robert du Preez
  • Southern Kings 10 (3): Tries – Makazole Mapimpi; Conversions – Lionel Cronje; Penalties – Lionel Cronje
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Alan Straton

Chief Cook, Bottle Washer and Broom Mechanic at MyPE
Passionate about Port Elizabeth and definitely NOT packing for Perth. Alan's ethos is epitomised in the words of Nelson Mandela; "I have fought against white domination and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the idea of a democratic and free society. If need be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die." See more articles by Alan.