Kings v Force - Super Rugby match preview
Southern Kings name an all-South African Starting XV for their first ever Super Rugby match.
Last Updated: 23/02/13 12:41pm
Back-rower Luke Watson will captain Matt Sexton's side in a team that has been limited to naming just two foreigners in the match-day squad - Kenyan forward Daniel Adongo and Kiwi utility back Hadleigh Parkes both amongst the replacements.
Fly-half Demetri Catrakilis, inside centre Andries Strauss, outside centre Ronnie Cook, hooker Bandise Maku and lock Steven Sykes are among the familiar faces named by Sexton in his starting line-up.
The Kings have also named South African schoolboy rugby player of the year, in 2012, Sergeal Peterson - who was still in school three months ago - to make his debut on the wing.
Strength in depth
Michael Foley has added four Wallabies to his Western Force squad ahead of the sides meeting against new-boys Southern Kings.
Captain Matt Hodgson is one of the Test quartet - along with winger Nick Cummins, prop Salesi Ma'afu, flanker Hugh McMeniman and off-season recruit Jayden Hayward - to have been included in the side.
McMeniman replaces Phoenix Battye from the side that went down to the Melbourne Reds last week - and will be gunning for his first Super Rugby appearance since leaving the Queensland Reds to play in Japan in 2009.
Utility back Ed Stubbs has had to fly out to join his Western Force team-mates on their two-match Super Rugby South African leg - following an ankle injury to Patrick Dellit, meaning the winger has had to return home.
Kings: 15 SP Marais, 14 Sergeal Petersen, 13 Ronnie Cooke, 12 Andries Strauss, 11 Marcello Sampson, 10 Demetri Catrakilis, 9 Shaun Venter, 8 Luke Watson (c), 7 Wimpie van der Walt, 6 Cornell du Preez, 5 Steven Sykes, 4 David Bulbring, 3 Kevin Buys, 2 Bandise Maku, 1 Schalk Ferreira.
Replacements: 16 Edgar Marutlulle, 17 Jaco Engels, 18 Daniel Adongo, 19 Jacques Engelbrecht, 20 Johan Herbst, 21 George Whitehead, 22 Hadleigh Parkes.
Force squad: Chris Alcock, Richard Brown, Nathan Charles, Sam Christie, Angus Cottrell, Pek Cowan, Nick Cummins, Patrick Dellit, Sias Ebersohn, Tetera Faulkner, Kyle Godwin, Jayden Hayward, Matt Hodgson, Kieran Longbottom, Toby Lynn, Salesi Ma'afu, Alfie Mafi, Alby Mathewson, Ben McCalman, Hugh McMeniman, Junior Rasolea, Mick Snowden, Winston Stanley, Heath Tessmann, Will Tupou, Sam Wykes.
