Sergeal’s return good for Kings
Star wing back for big U19 encounter against Boland
DYNAMIC teenage wing Sergeal Petersen will make his long-awaited comeback when he plays for the EP Kings under-19 team in their crucial Currie Cup First Division semifinal match against Boland in Wellington today.
Much interest will centre on the young flyer as he bids to make an impression after a long layoff because of a hamstring injury.
Three EP Kings teams will be playing Currie Cup First Division semifinals this weekend as the rugby season reaches what is expected to be a dramatic climax at senior and age-group level.
The Kings senior team and the U21 team will both be playing at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium today. Unbeaten after seven outings, the U21 team are strong favourites to beat Griquas in a match which will be played as the main curtain-raiser to the senior team.
Their game starts at 4.30pm and the senior match will kick off at 7.10pm.
“It is critical that on all three fronts we are making a statement to the rest of the country,” Kings head coach David Maidza said.
“Sergeal is back for the U19 team and we have decided it might be too big a game for him to come in to, the first division semifinal.
“So we want him to have a bit of game time under his belt for the U19 side.
“Sergeal is a positive addition to the team and we hope they come back with a win.
“The U21 team have also done very well and last week was a bit of a wake-up call for them when they beat the Limpopo Bulls because they did not play particularly well.
“But they came through playing poorly and still winning, which is a good thing.
“I think they will be favourites going into this match and coach Robbi Kempson has done pretty well with them to get through the round robin stage without losing a match,” Maidza said.
The U21 team maintained their impressive record when they scored a hard-fought 37-33 win over closest rivals the Limpopo Blue Bulls in Groblersdal on Saturday.
The gritty Kings team, who showed plenty of character, had to fight back after trailing 26-17.
The EP Kings U19 team also kept the flag flying high for the region when they recorded an exciting 26-17 win over the Limpopo Blue Bulls in Groblersdal.
The EP U21 team: Siviwe Soyizwapi, Eben Barnard, Andile Jho, Shane Gates, Sipumelele Mstutwana, Ruan Allerston, Ivan Ludick, Aidon Davis, Claude Tshidibi, Wayvern Smith, Kevin Kaba, Sonkosi Kuhle, Mzuvukile Sofisa, Dane van der Westhuizen (capt), Brendon Olivier. Replacements: Yakha Qinela, Pieter Stemmet, Stefan Zaayman, Siphesihle Punguzwa, Sonwabo Majola, Gavin Hauptfleisch, Lonwabo Ntleki.