The Queens - A Real disaster

The performance of the Queens tonight is just proof that they should never have been allowed to even be remotely involved with the CC competition and worse still the Suoer 15 next year  Although there is another play-off match next week, the Queens will have to beat the Cheetahs by 40 points - scoring at least 6 tries in the process and stopping the Cheetahs from scoring a single try.

Even people believing the moon is made from green cheese - will not be able to say he Queens will make it.  

In essence it was an entertaining game to watch - but it was reqally to one-sided  to be rated it as a good game.

What really bothers me is the Queens playing in Super 15 next year.   Here we have a team with NO CHANCE of getting ONE point on the Super 15 log next year.   What the hell made the Board take that weird resolution??????? 

Yay. A team my beloved blues can beat!

...sounds like another over hyped team that can't deliver...bit like that rain puddle team ay Bean Brain??

 If anything it proves the need to buy more players, probably foreign players because the Lions are not going to loan them any players. (Not that the Lions have that much to give)

 It may just be easier to buy a whole team, perhaps one from the French league. 

 Interesting that the only player of colour is not even from Africa.

The Toyota Cheetahs gave the EP Kings a rude awakening to the rigours of top flight rugby as they demolished them 53-14 and virtually ended any chance of the Kings being promoted to the Absa Currie Cup Premier division next season.

What the Kings feared most turned out to be the harsh reality of the evening. Even though the Cheetahs could only win three of their 10 games in the Premier Division, they were miles too good in intensity, passion and drive for the Kings and after 20 minutes in the game, it literally became a discussion about how big the margin of victory would be and not whether the visitors had a chance anymore.

It now means that with the log point system being the first point of call to separate the two sides, the Cheetahs took five points from this encounter and the Kings none. In other words, the Kings would have to win with a four-try bonus point and deny the Cheetahs one in the return fixture in Port Elizabeth next week before they can think of the 39-point deficit they need to overhaul in order to gain promotion.

But there are even more alarm bells ringing in terms of the Kings' participation in next year’s Vodacom Super Rugby series, where competition will be longer, tougher and way more intense than the Kings encountered on a balmy night in Bloemfontein. Even if the coastal franchise finds a few star players to sign at this late stage of the season, their chances of making a positive impact on the competition must be virtually zero at this stage.

While there can be some sympathy with the way they have been hampered by the process in only getting the green light for Super Rugby in August, the Kings still need to explain why -- on a night which was so important to them -- they fielded a team with no local black players in their ranks.

Considering the political capital they have behind them, and the Kings’ status as a region, the sight of Samoan Paul Perez as the only player of colour in the starting line-up will have raised several eyebrows as well.

There was always a danger this would happen, and the Cheetahs, after having their backs against the wall and in a week where they were heavily criticised in their own town by their own supporters, were never going to give an inch to their opponents.

Instead they were ruthless, scoring eight tries to two, and grabbing the important bonus point before half time to ensure the victory was theirs way before the second half started.

WRITING ON THE WALL

And they started in style as a massive build-up showed how patient the home side could be, right until the overlap came and Nico Scheepers ran in at the corner after just five minutes to score the opening try.

Ross Geldenhuys added a second in the next foray into the Kings’ 22, and it wasn’t long after that Phillip van der Walt planted the ball on the line as the Cheetahs extended their lead in the first half.

The coup de grace, however, came as try-scoring sensation Raymond Rhule took the ball in his own half and simply sprinted past the Kings defence on the outside, and then passed to Andries Strauss at just the right moment for him to add the bonus point try.

At 24-0 at the break the writing was on the wall, but the Kings did come out strongly at the start of the second half and scored a brace of tries in just seven minutes as Devin Oosthuizen and Shane Gates touchdowns gave them some hope of closing the gap.

But it was left to the Strauss family to hammer the final nails in the coffin as first Andries went over for his second and then captain Adriaan grabbed an optimistic intercept and sprinted 50 metres to the opposite tryline to seal the Kings' fate.

By the time Rayno Benjamin added his name to the scoresheet, the Kings were already contemplating the long flight home and their future in the first division.

To add insult to injury, the Cheetahs were awarded a penalty try five minutes from time as the Kings pulled down a maul marching its way to the tryline, with Charl du Plessis collecting a yellow card for his troubles.

It was truly a night for the Kings to forget, and a stark reminder of just how far off the pace they actually are.

SCORERS:

Toyota Cheetahs – Tries: Nico Scheepers, Ross Geldenhuys, Phillip van der Walt, Andries Strauss (2), Adriaan Strauss, Rayno Benjamin, Penalty try.

Conversions – Scheepers (2), Tewis de Bruyn (3). Penalties: De Bruyn.

EP Kings – tries: Devin Oosthuizen, Shane Gates. Conversions: George Whitehead (2)

All Blacknblue

The only thing the Blies can be certain of is that there will definitely be a team below them on the log.  LOL

Brycy

Can you understand English?   Have you seen anything on this Board about any hype on the Queens - mostl people are highly critical of the decision to let this lot of no-hopers play in Super 15 

Too true CleverM, except I think it is fair to say that everybody on the board is highly critical of the decision to include the Kings in S Rugby. Brycy is quite obviously either high or just stupid.

Blame SARU, not the Kings .

blame the Watsons

Bobbok surely both the queens and SARFU are to blame - as is the government re the political pressure.

EP should have taken this step by steG. get into the Currie cup first. I also think the Currie Cup could have had 7 teams to facilitate this. Then show you are worthy. Then win a relegation match - then nobody can complain.

Watch out for SARFU being sued next year. The queens ae noway ready for Super 15. You have to have depth.

Folk complain about the Lions but this year they were scuppered by horrendous injuries. They would put at least 50 over the queens. What are teh top sides going to do. what is going to be the consequences of huge wins - there is goiing to be an outcry. EP Queens withdraw from the comp  you know its the honourable thing to do.

I just want to bring this post back to the top of the board. I am so glad the Kings were able to see just how big the gap is between the worst Currie Cup side and them...and then also realise that there is a similar gap between the Cheetahs and the top Super Rugby sides, which basically means the Kings are going to be more than just the whipping boys in next years Super Rugby competition, they will also be a big fat joke.

And here is Cheeky "bumchum" Watson's excuse for their complete flop in next years Super Rugby tournament "We were kept on a line until mid 2012 regarding our inclusion in Super Rugby, and therfore did not have enough time to prepare"....

this whole situation has been totally doomed to fail from the start. its takes years and years to build a team to a level where they can at least compete but the game against the cheetahs proved that the kings are a long way away from even getting close to being the best. there current crop of players and not up the standard and nexy years super rugby will be a farce. i do understand the need to have a super rugby comp but a more logical solution would have been to wait for the competition expansion to include them or they should have been allowed to co opt into another existing super rugby team to get there structures ext sorted out.

the watsons will be in for a bigger scare next year mark my words.

I agree 100% carpet.