The movie 'The Replacements' properly sums up the Southern Kings.
The 2000 American football movie is about a group of rejects brought in to fill a gap left by striking NFL players. But the group of oddball characters transform themselves in team that shock the league with their performances.
The Kings are essentially made up of South African Super Rugby players who have either been ignored or thrown by the wayside by the bigger franchises. But over the last few months this group of players have shown that they belong in Super Rugby.
The speculation about the Kings' future made these players' future even more uncertain. Two South African teams are going to be dropped from Super Rugby next season, and the Kings are the obvious choice.
But the threat of the axe has galvanised this team. It's given them the desire to prove to SA Rugby and the South African rugby public that they belong. They want to be in the big time. They need to be in Super Rugby.
The people of the Port Elizabeth and the Eastern Cape clearly also want them to stay in the tournament after about 28 000 people rocked up at the majestic Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium to cheer them on in Saturday night's Super Rugby clash against the Sharks.
And "The Replacements" didn't let them down when they scored a late try to beat the Sharks 35-32. It was the first time in their brief history that the Kings beat a South African team and managed to win three matches in a row after they dealt with the Waratahs (away) and the Rebels (home) on consecutive weekends.
The message before Saturday's game was "#FillTheStadium". It was far from capacity at the former soccer World Cup venue, but the atmosphere was simply electric. Even the neutral observer must have got a chill down their spine when Pieter-Steyn de Wet scored what proved to be the winning the try in the 78th minute. The crowd went absolutely ballistic.
The Kings outscored the Durban side four tries to two. The home side were full of running all night, but also showed their power in the scrums. They were up for this game.
Wing Alshaun Bock gave the Kings a 8-0 lead after their flyhalf and captain Lionel Cronje opened the scoring with a penalty. The Sharks, though, hit back soon afterwards, and took a 11-8 lead after two Pat Lambie penalties and a Daniel du Preez try.
Lambie, who recently returned from an injury, then left the field for a suspected concussion halfway through the first half. Cronje then kicked a drop goal and a penalty, before scoring a try on the stroke of halftime to give the Kings a 18-16 halftime lead.
The Kings then made the perfect start to the second half when Bok scored his second after a brilliant break by Kings scrumhalf Louis Schreuder.
Replacement flyhalf Garth April was in good kicking form for the Sharks, and kicked a penalty and converted Lukhanyo Am's try. Springbok wing Lwazi Mvovo also scored to give the Sharks a 26-25 lead.
Cronje then kicked a penalty in the 63rd minute to give the Kings a slender lead, before April slotted another one of his own to take back the lead.
However, De Wet would have the last say, scoring in the corner to help the Kings to an historic win.