Perez in amazing recovery

[caption id="attachment_34135" align="alignright" width="300"] RARING TO GO: Powerful Samoan wing Paul Perez, left, and teammate Luke Watson get back into the swing of things at an EP Kings's training session yesterday. Picture: BRIAN WITBOOI[/caption] SOUTHERN Kings rugby boss Cheeky Watson has described the rehabilitation of explosive wing Paul Perez as phenomenal after his dramatic recovery following a knee operation. "Where it takes most players up to 12 weeks to recover, Paul cuts that back to two to three weeks. Paul is a genetic freak," Watson said. "Since his return from Samoa, Paul has been looking good. He is looking like the old Perez who has performed so well for us in the past." The Kings are due to name their team today to take on Wales in an international friendly, but Perez is unlikely to feature in Tuesday's game against the Dragons. The hard-running Samoan will probably be held back for the Super Rugby friendlies later in the month. It also seems likely that many of the new signings, who only linked up with the Kings this week, will be given more time to settle before making their debuts. EP Rugby chief executive Charl Crous this week confirmed the signings of tighthead prop Tom Botha, scrumhalf Tobie Botes and Australian lock Steve Cummins. After the Wales clash, the Kings face a Bulls XV in a Super Rugby friendly on June 20. This clash will give head coach Carlos Spencer another opportunity to bring new signings into the team. The Kings then come up against a Sharks XV in another Super Rugby friendly on July 4 before their opening Currie Cup rugby match against Western Province on August 8. Another player on the comeback trail is Luke Watson. He is expected to lead the team in the high-profile international friendly against the Welshmen. Watson was bristling with energy at training this week and he will relish the opportunity to lead the Kings against international opposition. Wing Sergeal Petersen and No 8 Aidon Davis are not in the frame for the Welsh showdown as they are on international duty for the Baby Boks at the Junior World Cup in New Zealand. The Wales squad will depart for South Africa today to prepare for the contest against the Kings, which is likely to attract a big crowd. After the warm-up game in Port Elizabeth, the first test between Wales and the Springboks takes place in Durban on Saturday June 14 with the second a week later in Nelspruit on June 21. Ospreys lock Alun Wyn Jones will captain Wales in South Africa after coach Warren Gatland named a 32-man squad. Jones, as he did during the British and Irish Lions' victorious series in Australia last year, replaces the injured Sam Warburton as captain. Joining back-row forward Warburton in missing the tour through injury are fellow flanker Justin Tipuric, fullback Leigh Halfpenny and flyhalf Rhys Priestland. - George Byron