The long-awaited final game of Round 12 of the Guinness PRO14 season takes place on Saturday, with two South African powerhouses facing off against each other as the Toyota Cheetahs take on the Isuzu Southern Kings in Bloemfontein. Hosts the Cheetahs have picked up just five wins so far this term in Conference A but will be confident in taking on their countrymen, who sit bottom of Conference B. They will be buoyed by their previous encounters with the Kings last season, boasting a 100 per cent record from the three occasions the sides met in the Guinness PRO14, including two away from home. Here, we look back at the three pulsating matches between these two sides last season. Isuzu Southern Kings 21-45 Toyota Cheetahs – Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium – January 13, 2018 In the first Guinness PRO14 clash between these teams, the Cheetahs laid down a marker that they would hit in both repeat encounters – free-scoring attacking rugby that would ultimately prove too much for the Kings’ backline. Both sides exchanged tries in the opening ten minutes but by half-time, the Cheetahs were in a commanding position after crossing the whitewash twice more, one of which was scored by Nico Lee. Lee would go on two score two further tries in the second half to claim his hat-trick and put the game out of reach. Cheetahs fly-half Fred Zeilinga was also impressive throughout, converting all six conversions and adding a penalty to give the visitors an early lead. The Kings did reduce the deficit to ten points before Lee crossed for his third but a comeback was never likely and the two late Cheetah tries confirmed a resounding win. Toyota Cheetahs 45-24 Isuzu Southern Kings – Free State Stadium – January 20, 2018 A week after their first meeting of the season, the reverse fixture was on the cards to provide an opportunity for the Southern Kings to get revenge. The result was almost a carbon copy and the key men from the first match – Lee and Zeilinga – were once again on top form to see their side through to a comfortable victory. At half-time, only a converted try separated the scores, with the home side leading 24-17. However, a scoring blitz in the opening 15 minutes of the second half put Cheetahs out of sight – and meant they scored 90 points against their rivals in week. Two first-half tries from Kings through Luzoku Vulindlu and Schalk Ferreira were both cancelled out by Lee either side of Uzair Cassiem crossing over for the hosts. Isuzu Southern Kings 20-29 Toyota Cheetahs – Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium – April 28, 2018 The tightest affair between the two sides came in the final match-up of last season, with the Cheetahs missing both Lee and Zeilinga, who had previously proven thorns in the side of Kings. In fact, the away side featured seven different players to the side that faced the Kings previously but they still scored four tries to confirm third place in Conference B, before losing to Scarlets in the quarter-finals of the Guinness PRO14 Final Series. This time around, the hosts burst into an early lead after five minutes and repeated that second period when Harlon Klaasen touched-down in the 44th minute. However, by that point, the visitors had scored three tries of their own through Paul Schoeman, Daniel Marais and Uzair Cassiem. Although the home scored added two penalties to their tally, they still trailed 22-13 at the break. The early try from Klaasen cut the lead to two but they were the last points scored by the Kings – the Cheetahs responded shortly after through centre Francois Venter to ensure they won all three matches against their compatriots.
