Kings make Canes sweat for win
The 22-point winning margin flattered the hosts in the end as the Kings were still well in the game going into the last ten minutes. They were also only two points behind the Hurricanes at half-time.
It was all Hurricanes in the first five minutes as they camped inside the Kings 22. After sustained pressure and with the ball going through a number of phases, centre Ngani Laumape ran in for the first try of the game.
The visitors managed to get themselves on the scoreboard five minutes later when Louis Fouche converted a penalty, however they were back defending after that.
The home side, after some good stepping by Dane Coles, made their way back inside the Kings 22 with ball being spread wide to No.8 Blade Thomson who stretched over for his team's second try in the 13th minute.
Fouche had an ambitious kick to polls from inside his own half after his team got a penalty a few minutes later, but the ball fell well short at sea level.
The Hurricanes, looking calm, made another foray into the Kings half a few minutes later and it was again that main Coles who set up the next score.
The hooker evaded a few defenders to put Ardie Savea into space. The flank bashed his way through a couple of defenders to score his team's third try.
The Kings did eventually get a try of they own on the half hour mark when captain Steven Sykes, who was playing in his 100th Super Rugby match, dived over for a score. Fouche converted to reduce the deficit to nine points.
The team from Port Elizabeth seemed to play with a bit more confidence in that final ten minutes. After Barrett missed a penalty, the Kings scored their second try after a brilliant pass by centre Shaun Gates put Fouche through for the score before the break. The flyhalf converted his own score and the Kings were just two points behind the Canes at half-time with the score reading 19-17.
The Kings continued where they left off in the first half as they took the ball up with great gusto in the opening minutes of the second half. However, crucial mistakes let them down inside the Hurricanes' half.
It was the home side who eventually opened the scoring in the second half when flyhalf Beauden Barrett slotted a penalty to give his team a 22-17 lead in the 54th minute.
Barrett gave his team some more breathing space four minutes later when he converted another penalty for an eight-point lead.
The Kings were not going to let the game get away from and after shoving the Canes back in a scrum, Fouche had an opportunity to reduce the home team's lead with a penalty. He converted and the visitors were just five points behind going into the last 17 minutes.
The Canes then looked to have scored a fourth try when Laumape split the Kings' defence open in the 66th minute, but he was stopped just short of the tryline after a TMO review. However, Barrett did slot a penalty soon after to extend the lead to eight points once again.
Any hope of a Kings win was then crushed six minutes from time when replacement back Vince Aso scored a great try after a break by Loni Uhila and a fantastic pass by Vaea Fifita. Barrett converted to give his team a 15-point lead.
The Hurricanes went in search of another try in the last few minutes and they got it when Barrett swooped on a loose ball in his own half after a sloppy Kings' line-out to race away for the score just before full-time. That try gave the Hurricanes a bonus point for scoring three more tries than the Kings.
Man of the match: We look no further than the two hookers in this match. Dane Coles and Edgar Marutlulle were simply awesome in open play and they share this award.
The scorers:
For Hurricanes:
Tries: Laumape, Thomson, Savea, Aso, Barrett
Cons: Barrett 4
Pens: Barrett 3
For Southern Kings:
Tries: Sykes, Fouche
Cons: Fouche 2
Pens: Fouche 2
Teams:
Hurricanes: 15 James Marshall, 14 Cory Jane, 13 Willis Halaholo, 12 Ngani Laumape, 11 Jason Woodward, 10 Beauden Barrett, 9 TJ Perenara, 8 Blade Thomson, 7 Ardie Savea, 6 Vaea Fifita, 5 Mark Abbott, 4 Michael Fatialofa, 3 Jeff Toomaga-Allen, 2 Dane Coles (captain), 1 Chris Eves.
Replacements: 16 Ricky Riccitelli, 17 Loni Uhila, 18 Ben May, 19 Geoff Cridge, 20 Callum Gibbins, 21 Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi, 22 Vince Aso, 23 Matt Proctor.
Southern Kings: 15 Jurgen Visser, 14 Luzuko Vulindlu, 13 Stefan Watermeyer, 12 Shane Gates, 11 Malcolm Jaer, 10 Louis Fouche, 9 Ntando Kebe, 8 Jacques Engelbrecht, 7 Stefan Willemse, 6 Cyril-John Velleman, 5 John-Charles Astle, 4 Steven Sykes (captain) 3 Jacobie Adriaanse, 2 Edgar Marutlulle, 1 Sithembiso Sithole.
Replacements: 16 Martin Bezuidenhoudt, 17 Justin Ackerman, 18 Tom Botha, 19 Schalk Oelofse, 20 Chris Cloete, 21 Kevin Luiters, 22 Elgar Watts, 23 JP Du Plessis.
Referee: Brendon Pickerill
Assistant referees: Nick Briant, Kane McBride
TMO: Aaron Paterson
