Port Elizabeth – While there has still be no official confirmation, the Kings and Cheetahs are expected to be unveiled as new entrants into Europe’s Pro12 in the coming days. 

And while that is fantastic news for both of those franchises considering that they have been axed from Super Rugby 2018, it does come with its own set of unique challenges. 

The new-look tournament is expected to get underway in September, which leaves both franchises with roughly two months (probably less) to get their houses in order for the new competition. 

For the Kings and coach Deon Davids, it is a serious challenge, based largely on player availability. 

“A lot of the players would have loved to stay but at the time there was a lot of uncertainty in terms of where we were going, Davids told Sport24 on Tuesday.

“A lot of the players accepted Currie Cup contracts at other unions and deals overseas, so there is not a lot of continuity that is going to take place.

“The biggest concern is that if we have to now go into an international competition that starts in September it will be a totally new squad that has to be put together. We will be in the same position we were in in 2016, which is very concerning.”

Davids is no stranger to being thrown into the deep end. 

Ahead of the 2016 Super Rugby season the Kings were in financial ruin and had to be rescued by SA Rugby. Davids was given a group of players that had not played together and asked to turn them into a competitive force in no time at all. 

Naturally, the 2016 season was a struggle for the Port Elizabeth-based side as they limped to just two wins all year. 

But, in 2017, Davids sparked a revival that saw the Kings win six of their 15 matches to finish ahead of the Bulls, Cheetahs, Sunwolves, Force, Reds, Waratahs and Rebels on the overall log. 

Along the way, they developed a reputation for being a side that could attack from anywhere and they scored some scintillating tries.

Now, should they relocate to the Pro12 – or Pro14 – as expected, they will have to start over.

Davids, though, does not want to alter too much in the way of philosophy.  

“I don’t think I will change my approach a lot,” he said.

“I think players need to have options available to execute what is needed without changing too much. We have to sit down and see what challenges we will face in the new competition.”

Weather conditions are an obvious factor.

“If it is in Europe, then some games we will play in extreme conditions when it’s cold and wet,” the coach said.

“Then when we come back home it will be totally dry fields. We have to adapt when we go over there and they will have to adapt when they come over here.

“We will have to find a balance and make sure that we have systems and structures in place that enable us to do that, and we will have to have the players that can play according to that plan.

“The basics will stay the same. The set pieces will have to be strong, whether you play here or there. Your playmakers will have to have to have the ability to either to attack the line well or have a good kicking game.”

Davids said he is expecting official confirmation of where he his side will play this week. He knows that he is in for a proper challenge.

“There is never enough time to prepare. It’s going to be a huge ask, to be honest,” he acknowledged.

“I’ve got no idea when we will start, what the squad will look like, what players are available … it’s going to be very difficult.

“At this point in time it’s just a ‘wait and see’ situation.”

The other minor issue is that Davids’ contract with SA Rugby expires at the end of the year, which would fall mid-tournament. 

But there is still time to sort that out and it is hard to see SA Rugby or the Kings looking elsewhere after the hugely impressive season the Kings have just had under Davids.

“I have enjoyed my time at the franchise and I think it’s a special place with special people,” he said.

“If I am given the opportunity to build something special I would enjoy to be a part of it. I know it’s going to be hard work, but we’ve shown that with the right people and plan we can achieve things.

“It will require a lot of patience and a lot of effort … it’s a project that I think will maybe shine in the next three or four years. For the first year or so it will be very tough.”

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Cape Town – The Lions, if a dose of it had just snuck in, have been shocked out of any complacency on their continuing – phew, just – journey toward the Super Rugby title.

Or put it this way: what is the likelihood of the Johannesburg franchise being as ragged, flustered and imprecise in the home semi-final against the Hurricanes next weekend as they were during the course of the dramatic, late-secured quarter-final triumph over the Sharks at Ellis Park on Saturday?

Probably not a very good one, and that is something to bank in their favour despite the ‘Canes naturally shaping up as considerably more formidable on paper than the brave-hearts from Durban who so nearly registered an almighty upset before surrendering 23-21.

With the Stormers coming up short at the quarter-final phase for the third time in as many years (and all at Newlands) by losing 17-11 to the Chiefs in a tight but generally disappointing tussle, justice has really prevailed for the last four, which will also see the Crusaders now host the Waikato outfit next Saturday in the other semi.

It means the four teams with the most log points to show from the increasingly controversial ordinary-season format have booked their tickets for next weekend, and this is a development to please the purists, regardless of nationality.

Also just about reflecting the balance of power this year is that the semis see three New Zealand teams and one SA outfit in the remaining mix.

Whilst it will be little consolation to the Sharks, who may also feel referee Marius van der Westhuizen made some brutal calls against them at important times, plenty of South Africans from all the other regions will have breathed a sigh of relief that the Lions advance – they always did shape as the side from our shores in with best stab, and then some, at the trophy.

It would have required a deep glug from the hip flask beforehand to submit with any fortitude that the Stormers, had they flown to sadly flood-ravaged Christchurch, or Sharks, by returning to the Cake Tin horror of their 41-0 knockout thumping from the Hurricanes last season, might have gone on to the overall glory instead.

As it is, bookies may be slightly lengthening already the odds on the Lions going one better than their loss in the final of 2016, but the fact remains that Johan Ackermann’s charges are best equipped from our parts to bring the title to a South African home for the first time since the Bulls’ last triumph in 2010.

The very fact that they survived the Sharks’ typically physical, bump-‘em-off-their-stride blitzkrieg is a testament to their pedigree, for all the flaws on display.

That they work for each other, even in the depths of adversity, was also reflected in the way Springbok wing Ruan Combrinck fearlessly, determinedly stepped up to bang over the decisive penalty goal from well over 50 metres in the 77th minute to thwart the underdogs’ dreams.

His vital cameo came with flyhalf and regular goal-kicker Elton Jantjies already sitting a little forlornly on the bench, following a rather wretched personal showing marked by mistakes in various respects – including unusually wayward kicking off the tee that did, remember, go quite some way to keeping the visitors interested right to the last whistle.

Jantjies, an enigmatic fellow for some years in spite of his considerable gifts, faces a significant follow-up outing against the ‘Canes, as anything like a repeat of his jitters evidenced against the Sharks will get a whole lot of critics carping anew that he doesn’t quite cut it when the heat is turned up to most challenging levels.

Certainly the renewed strides he made at Test level against France in June will be quickly forgotten by the harsher of onlookers if he bombs out against next weekend, although considering how Ellis Park and the Lions themselves are such treasured entities to him, it will also not surprise his army of devotees if he has a cracking outing against the Wellington visitors and defending champions.

With due respect to stand-in skipper Jaco Kriel, the Lions do lack some elements of adhesiveness and tactical clarity when Warren Whiteley is confined to “civvies” at pitch-side – where he was on Saturday and will be for whatever’s left of their 2017 adventure.

But the spirit that runs deep in their dressing room is still there, and not something to be under-estimated in the lead-up as next opponents the ‘Canes prepare for an arduous trip through time zones to the unforgiving Highveld.

Not that the NZ side will be overawed in the slightest by jetting into the Big Smoke: last season they handed the otherwise consistently winning, polished Lions a 50-17 mid-campaign humbling in the very Jo’burg, before repeating the job 20-3 in the Wellington showpiece.

*Follow our chief writer on Twitter: @RobHouwing

Nottingham – South Africa captain Faf du Plessis said his side had gone back to basics in a commanding 340-run win over England in the second Test at Trent Bridge on Monday.

Victory saw the Proteas bounce back in style after they suffered a 211-run defeat in the first of a four-match series at Lord’s — a fixture du Plessis missed following the birth of his first child.

“We did the basics a lot better and put England under pressure for long periods,” du Plessis told Sky Sports.

“We focused on getting back to things this side does really well,” he added of a South Africa side with a proud away record of just one series loss in their 19 previous Test campaigns on the road.

Du Plessis took the bold decision to bat first after winning the toss at Trent Bridge, a ground known for aiding swing bowlers, and was rewarded with a competitive total of 335 all out.

With South Africa coach Russell Domingo missing this match following the death of his mother and the attack without fast bowler Kagiso Rabada, banned for one game as a result of swearing at England’s Ben Stokes at Lord’s, the Proteas then dismissed England for 205.

Du Plessis’s painstaking 63, demonstrating an ability to graft for runs quite beyond most England batsmen this match, helped South Africa to a second innings total of 343 for nine declared.

That left England needing a mammoth 474 for victory — the most made by any side to win in the fourth innings of a Test is the West Indies’ 418 for seven against Australia at St John’s in 2003.

England, however, collapsed to 133 all out with more than a day to spare on a pitch, which while worn was no ‘minefield’ and with sunny blue skies providing some of the best batting conditions of the Test.

Vernon Philander, the man-of-the-match, led South Africa’s attack with three wickets for 24 runs in 10 overs of accurate fast-medium bowling.

South Africa had collapsed to 119 all out at Lord’s but they were on top at Trent Bridge almost from the start and never let up.

“There were periods in the first Test when we played well but then let England dominate us,” said du Plessis.

“This was an important Test for us.”

The Proteas now have a nine-day break until the start of the third Test at The Oval on July 27, with no tour match in between.

But with several of South Africa’s multi-format players in England since May, du Plessis reckoned a break may be no bad thing.

“A few of the guys have had a long tour — I’ve just had a break so I feel mentally refreshed and strong, but I feel a couple of days off will give the guys a chance to relax and get away and in a week’s time come back with the same intensity,” he said.

For England this reverse again raised questions about their fallible top three, a problem for them while they lost eight Tests last year.

Keaton Jennings and current number three Gary Ballance, a longstanding team-mate of Root at Yorkshire, have made just 44 and 85 runs respectively in four innings during the series so far.

“No, I don’t think it (the top three) is a concern,” insisted number four Root.

“They just need some runs and to spend some time out in the middle.

“Credit has to go to South Africa, who played very well over the course of the game, but we’ve got to make sure this doesn’t happen again,” he added.

Meanwhile England coach Trevor Bayliss was adamant none of the side were trying to hide from the scale of this defeat.

“The boys are fairly honest in the changing room and realise they have had a shocker,” the Australian said.

Silverstone – Lewis Hamilton stormed to the 67th pole position of his career after a dazzling performance during qualifying on Saturday for the British Grand Prix.

The Mercedes driver finished 0.547sec clear of Kimi Raikkonen with Ferrari team-mate and championship leader Sebastian Vettel set to start third in Sunday’s race at Silverstone.

Hamilton closed to within one of Michael Schumacher’s record of 68 poles.