Friday night’s EP Kings clash against former log leaders, Boland, was to be the one game that predicted the EP Kings future progress in the first division of the Absa Currie Cup and a good showing would have given EP Kings supporters that extra boost of confidence and swagger on the journey to the Premier Division.
The home game played at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium did not start out very well for the EP Kings as less than two minutes after the Kings kick-off Boland wing, Cornal Hendricks crashed over the Kings corner to put the visitors 5 points ahead, the conversion attempt was unsuccessful.
Boland started out the first half looking very polished and missed tackles by the Kings added a bit of tension to my old ticker.
But, five minutes into the game a rolling maul from a lineout on Boland’s 22 saw the Kings show their forward dominance as their momentum took them over the line for Captain, Luke Watson, to claim the try. A successful conversion by Kings flyhalf, Louis Strydom, and the Kings were back on top.
The Kings came right back after the re-start and dominated in the Boland half winning phase after phase, getting closer and closer but were thwarted by a spirited and determined Boland defence double tackling marauding EP Kings forwards. Eventually the Kings forced a penalty which Louis Strydom slotted over in the 13th minute to extend the lead by 5 points.
Strydom’s second successful penalty came in the 29th minute after missing an attempt from just short of the halfway line.
The EP Kings settled into their rhythm and displayed dominance from a solid forward pack that were relishing their work and giving Boland a taste of ‘retreat under fire’. So nice to see a tight five as an identifiable unit and the ‘engine room’ of a good scrum.
With 12 minutes to go in the second half, Boland flyhalf, Elgar Watts was successful with the first of his four penalties and Boland narrowed the gap to 5 points.
Determined to extend their lead the Kings took a quick penalty that saw Luke Watson powering to the line with his forwards swarming, a flip to Jaco Engels saw the Kings tight forwards pack crash over the Boland line with the try eventually going to tighthead, Clint Newland. 8 minutes from the end of the first half Louis Strydom converted to put the Kings 12 points ahead.
But the comfortable gap was not to be as EP mistakes led to a penalty in front of the poles that was easily slotted over by Boland’s, Elgar Watts to make the points 20 -11 at the end of the first half.
The second half did not show as much enthusiasm as the first – different tactics by the EP Kings did not bear fruit and the loss of Clint Newland to injury with 27 minutes to go and not one additional point on the board from either side seemed to rattle EP’s rhythm. Too many penalties against the Kings from this point on which a game Boland took to the Kings with tap and go moves forcing more territory, as the tardy Kings slowly fell back, eventually seeing another penalty being slotted over by Elgar Watts to place more pressure on the home side.
A scrappy 10 minutes with lots of handling errors inched the Kings closer to Boland’s tryline and a bold drop goal from Louis Strydom saw the Kings clock in with 23 points. The reply from Bloand came quickly as Elgar Watts slotted the last of his four penalties to put the scoreline at 23 -17 with 12 minutes to go in the game.
A missed penalty by the Kings left Boland struggling gamely to get a break to score and convert but handling errors let them down as the EP Kings defended each attempt by Boland.
If the Kings had continued with their first half momentum the scoreline would have looked a whole lot different.
EP Kings: 23 – Boland: 17
Scorers:
- EP Kings: Tries – Luke Watson, Clint Newland. Conversions – Louis Strydom (2). Penalties – Strydom (2). Drop goal – Strydom.
- Boland Cavaliers: Try – Cornal Hendricks. Penalties – Elgar Watts (4).
