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Cape Town - Kings coach Matt Sexton believes the loose forward battle will be key in determining the outcome of their Super Rugby clash against the Cheetahs in Port Elizabeth on Saturday.
"It will be a massive battle and it could play a big part in the outcome," Sexton told Die Burger on Monday.
"Both teams' loose forwards are in form and some of them should surely come into consideration for the Springboks."
Two former Springboks, Luke Watson and Heinrich Brüssow, are sure to spice things up, while the other loosies - Philip van der Walt, Lappies Labuschagné, Cornell du Preez and Wimpie van der Walt - have all been tipped as future internationals.
The Cheetahs' Labuschagné was on Wednesday included in a Bok training squad for a camp in Durban later this week.
"They're all good. You only have to look at the statistics to realise that," said Sexton.
Both teams will also have talented loose forwards to call on from the bench, with the Kings boasting the exciting Vleis Engelbrech, who's back after an ankle injury, while the Cheetahs can call on either Boom Prinsloo or Frans Viljoen - both accomplished ball carriers at this level.
Both Brüssow and Watson have displayed improvement in their form of late, which makes for an interesting battle at the breakdowns.
Watson was sick in bed wit flu on Tuesday but according to director of rugby, Alan Solomons, will be ready to take his place on Saturday.
The clash at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium kicks off at 15:00 on Saturday.
Teams:
Kings:
15. SP Marais, 14. Siyanda Grey, 13. Ronnie Cooke, 12. Andries Strauss, 11. Marcello Sampson, 10. Demetri Catrakilis, 9. Shaun Venter, 8. Cornell du Preez, 7. Luke Watson (captain), 6. Wimpie van der Walt, 5. David Bulbring, 4. Steven Sykes, 3. Kevin Buys, 2. Bandise Maku, 1. Schalk Ferreira
Substitutes: 16 Virgile Lacombe, 17 Grant Kemp, 18 Rynier Bernardo, 19 Jacques Engelbrecht, 20 Nicolas Vergallo, 21 Shane Gates, 22 George Whitehead.
Cheetahs:
TBA
"It will be a massive battle and it could play a big part in the outcome," Sexton told Die Burger on Monday.
"Both teams' loose forwards are in form and some of them should surely come into consideration for the Springboks."
Two former Springboks, Luke Watson and Heinrich Brüssow, are sure to spice things up, while the other loosies - Philip van der Walt, Lappies Labuschagné, Cornell du Preez and Wimpie van der Walt - have all been tipped as future internationals.
The Cheetahs' Labuschagné was on Wednesday included in a Bok training squad for a camp in Durban later this week.
"They're all good. You only have to look at the statistics to realise that," said Sexton.
Both teams will also have talented loose forwards to call on from the bench, with the Kings boasting the exciting Vleis Engelbrech, who's back after an ankle injury, while the Cheetahs can call on either Boom Prinsloo or Frans Viljoen - both accomplished ball carriers at this level.
Both Brüssow and Watson have displayed improvement in their form of late, which makes for an interesting battle at the breakdowns.
Watson was sick in bed wit flu on Tuesday but according to director of rugby, Alan Solomons, will be ready to take his place on Saturday.
The clash at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium kicks off at 15:00 on Saturday.
Teams:
Kings:
15. SP Marais, 14. Siyanda Grey, 13. Ronnie Cooke, 12. Andries Strauss, 11. Marcello Sampson, 10. Demetri Catrakilis, 9. Shaun Venter, 8. Cornell du Preez, 7. Luke Watson (captain), 6. Wimpie van der Walt, 5. David Bulbring, 4. Steven Sykes, 3. Kevin Buys, 2. Bandise Maku, 1. Schalk Ferreira
Substitutes: 16 Virgile Lacombe, 17 Grant Kemp, 18 Rynier Bernardo, 19 Jacques Engelbrecht, 20 Nicolas Vergallo, 21 Shane Gates, 22 George Whitehead.
Cheetahs:
TBA
