KINGS TRY NEW CENTRE PAIRING AT SHARK TANK
ALL EYES will be on the exciting new centre pairing of Waylon Murray and Shane Gates when the Southern Kings face the Sharks in their final Super Rugby match at Kings Park in Durban on Saturday.
With the crucial twolegged relegation playoffs against the Lions looming at the end of the month, the Kings are sending a revamped side to Durban as they bid to keep their first-choice players fresh.
It is the centre pairing of former Springbok Murray and the exciting young Gates that will be put under the microscope as they take the place of regulars Andries Strauss and Ronnie Cooke.
Strauss and Cooke are carrying injuries, but they are not viewed as serious enough to rule them out of contention for the play-offs.
“Shane and I have been working hard to keep the other guys prepared in training during the past few weeks so we have spent some time as a combination,” Murray said. “Shane is a very exciting, talented youngster and I am looking forward to partnering him on Saturday. ”
Questions were posed about the attacking abilities of the Kings this season – they have scored only 25 in 15 outings.
“We did not have the territory we would have liked in our last game,” Murray said. “The more opportunities we get to play with ball in hand, the more people can see how we attack. ” Murray said he was looking forward to returning to his old home ground and that the Sharks would provide stiff opposition because they are a quality side.
Another new face in the Kings backline is New Zealander Hadleigh Parkes, who has been brought in on the wing and will add extra firepower.
“It is great to see Parkes back in the Super Rugby team after he broke his arm in Wellington against the Hurricanes,” Kings director of rugby Alan Solomons said.
In Strauss’s absence, lock Steven Sykes takes over the captaincy, with flank Mpho Mbiyozo set to be handed his Super Rugby debut.