The Cheetahs scored two tries in the second half to win the match after leading 7-6 at the half time break.

Boom Prinsloo cancelled out former Cheetahs flyhalf, Elgar Watts’, 8th minute penalty when he crossed the line for the opening try 23 minutes into the game.

Watts landed a second penalty to narrow the lead to just one point into half-time.

Shortly after the break, the Kings reclaimed the lead in the match when Shane Gates scored a try which Watts failed to convert.

Former Kings winger, Sergeal Petersen, who was playing fullback for the Cheetahs, regained the lead for the visitors when he went over for the side’s second try, which Sias Ebersohn converted.

Captain Francois Venter secured the win for Franco Smith’s side with the team's third try, which was converted by Fred Zeilinga to take the score to 21-11.

On the injury front it's really bad news for the side with prop Danie Mienie dislocating his elbow. Coach Franco Smith confirmed to OFM Sport his injury is serious and the former Griquas man will need to undergo surgery.

Mienie is expected to be sidelined for at least three to four months.

Smith expected a tough game in the Friendly City and the rain didn’t make the going any easier.

“I always knew that the Kings were going to be tough in this game, they have a lot of pride and I knew that.

“I felt that they really stuck up and fought for their support and compliments to them for that.”

The game itself didn’t produce the intensity the mentor was wanting, however, he still takes lessons from it nonetheless.

“It was a very stop-start affair. It’s a pity it started raining, especially in a warm-up game where you don’t want to go the conservative route,” said Smith.

“The rain in the beginning made it difficult to handle the ball. On seven occasions we got within a metre of scoring and it becomes a little bit frustrating.

“Along with a lot of stop-starts, the game was delayed with small injuries and things. Unfortunately, we couldn’t build the intensity I would have liked. That’s going to be the main objective in the Super Rugby - to get the maximum intensity and to play with the ball in hand.

“I felt we were not that focussed, we got disrupted a bit and that’s exactly what happens on tour.

“That’s the lesson I’m going to take from this.”

The Cheetahs ended their ten-day tour unbeaten, following a 28-10 win over the Bulls in Harare, Zimbabwe, last week.

Smith is expected to announce his final Super Rugby squad on February 22nd and the side open their 2016 campaign against the Los Jaguars of Argentina on the 26th at the Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein.

Scorers:

Southern Kings: Try - Shane Gates. Penalty - Elgar Watts (2).

Toyota Cheetahs: Tries - Boom Prinsloo, Sergeal Peterson, Francois Venter. Conversion - Sias Ebersohn (2), Fred Zeilinga.

Morgan Piek/OFM News