Something to do about the kings

 It looks like SARU has dug their heels in and have decided that the kings will play. I’m not sure why they are being so stubborn, as the Kings are yet to qualify for the currie cup premier division. Neither do they possess the player talent pool. If you want to judge the health of a union, one only needs to look at their youth structures and the talent that’s coming through. SARU has invested millions in high performance centres but are yet to show the results. The Stormers, Bulls and Sharks all have great youth structures as well as the Cheetahs.

So what is the solution, if we have to field a rubbish team then I will have to agree with Mitchell and bring back the cats. The Cheetahs has proven to be a better team than the lions but due to lack of player depth, both have struggled. Yes, logistics is a problem for them and I’m sure something can be worked out.

But as an SA rugby supporter I would rather have 4 out 5 strong teams in the competition than just have 3 that can compete and 3 that are easy points for overseas teams.

Now, I wonder what the ‘wild cats’ would look like?

1.       Oosthuisen

2.       Strauss

3.       CJ van der linde

4.       Franco vd Merwe

5.       Izak van Der Westhuizen

6.       Brussouw

7.       Minnie

8.       Strauss

9.       Van Zyl

10.   Goosen / Jantjies

11.   Mapoe

12.   Strauss

13.   Ebersohm

14.   Willie Le Roux

15.   Taute

For a start you can improve somewhat on those very average locks you have there. Play young Paul Willemse and Ruan Botha ahead of those 2 pretenders. No need for hasbeen CJ at prop. Move Coenie to tighthead and bring back the impressive young Marcel v/d Merwe at loosehead or Nkanyane. Minnie, you have to be kidding, v/d Walt is far better and a true 7. Taute is a must at 13, they need to find a 12 with clout.

 The Kings will be an embarrasment- what planning has gone into next year? What Players will be recruited? Who is the coach. All that we know so far that Puke will be captain and the team will have limited whites.

What colour is the Jersey they will be playing in, will it have a bib for Luke?

Will this just be an embarrasment?

Sharkbok if you have been following the news on the Kings you will notice that Alan Solomons is Director of Rugby, he has moved up from the coaching role, they have established and academy of sorts for player development. Their structures have silently over the past 3 years been implemented and they have bought in some senior guys. Matt Sexton form the Canterbury junior sides has been appointed as coach by MR Solomons he has been deputy to solomons since he stopped playing if you can't remember him he is a an ex canterbury Hooker. Backline/defensive coach is De Wet Barry. There are some othe guys there as well, i can't get on their names now.

They have been doing some good recruiting in the last 3 years also coming from Dead last in the CC first division to finalists last year. They probably have the best scrum from all the sides in South Africa that includes the S15 sides. Next time if they play watch, they have been showing the games on Supersport and I try to watch when i can as i know it is a controversial thing at this stage and i don't want to sound ignorant when it comes to them.

It is just politics. They haven't earned a spot in Super Rugby and they don't deserve to be there, but that has nothing to do with it. As long as you are a fark buddy to top politicians, you get whatever you want, deserve it or not. Makes me hate the bloody Watsons even more!

So now even as much as we don't like them the watsons need to cop the flak for the unions tht voted this in?

The unions voted it in on a Saru general meeting, not the watsons. Cheeky only cmpaigned on behalf of the Kings as he is the Union Representative. The other unions could have said no.

Hell guys it seems that as soon as we don't like somoebody they have to cop the flak for everything. Be a bit more realistic and balanced gentlemen please.

Ek, I have to strongly dissagree. When there is political pressure from the Sports Minister etc, the union will do as they are told. Seriously, what other reason is there for the Kings to be included? They certainly haven't earned it.

No they haven't. That has nothing to do with my argmument. The other day i said the same thing. They are in, nothing we can do about it, they were voted in. That decision does not lie with any of us, we can complain that we don't like it, and we don't. But shouting like a kid that just got his best toy taken away is somewhat umbecoming, and blaming people just because you have a dislike for them is somwhat childish. There are numberious people that had a stake into voting these guys in. Blame them, don't stack all the blame on cheeky and Luke, how the hell is it Luke's fault that they are in? Hell I don't like the guy, but I am a realist and attempt to be a reasonable man as much as I can.

Ek, I take your point, but I respectfully disagree. There is no reason for the Kings to be included, and that is what makes it suspicious. Why not add Griquas who have actually performed well lately in the CC...or any other union?? There is just no good reason why they would choose the Kings other than political intereference. And if you don't think political interference is not possible, then how is it that Luke managed to get a Srpingbok call up against Jake White's wishes? The Watsons are connected and that is really the only explanation, because no matter how you look at it, they have not earned a place in Super Rugby. It is also openly admitted that PDV was appointed based on race and politics and not his credentials. Unfortunately, politics DO play a part in sport, and even although I agree that moaning about it ain't gonna change it, I still don't like it. 

Hi there Blue, I don't see what you are disagreeing about here, As nowhere did i say That it is not suspitious or that politics did not play a role, I sp[ecifically left that out as to me this was an arguiment on bieng reasonable towards someone who was not a player in this. Yes cheeky has some political clout, (Dont' overestimate it though) he however had a mandate from EP Rugby to argue the point and push for it.

So we don't like him and want to sacrifice him for doing his job.

Luke is a rugby player not a politician, we might not agree with his oppinions but he plays rugby and does not sit in the boardroom where this decision is made, so why should he take the cop for it.

From there my argument we should be reasonable and not like most poeple just point fingers at the Watsons and say Yout Fault, we blame you you idiots. That is ignorant, and uninformed.

They might have played their role in campaigning for the decision but they did not ultimately make the decision.

 SARU has made promises to the Government that they would do everything to help transformation, but they haven’t. They tried to escape it by appointing a black coach, now that backfired. On the upside, they final have the sport minister on side that agree that it needs to happen at grass root level. But where can you fast track black players without having to sacrifice the quality of your teams. Why not the kings, oh no, only 5 teams allowed and how can we fit 6 into 5.  The only way the lions will survive is if they start pushing through black talent. If they can show that they have more black talent in their run on team and make an argument that the Kings can’t match them for player development, but wait, what happened to Majevuku, fantastic player only to be mismanaged and dropped? Since this has always been racially motivated, the lions should have just embraced transformation if they wished to survive. That is they way things are in the new South Africa unfortunately. It is simple, Kings are promoting transformation and the lions are not.

Correct kingcorn.

the kings have established an academy type structure in the western cape follwing a bulls/stormers/sharks type plan. Where neither the Lions nor the cheetahs have done this. This counts in their favour as they have plans on the books for future development of players.