The Southern Kings inflicted a sixth Super Rugby defeat of the season, in eight games, on the Melbourne Rebels in a 44-3 demolition in Port Elizabeth.

The Rebels trailed by just eight points, 11-3, at the break but the Kings exploded in the second half, running in five tries to secure the win against a Rebels side that lacked any attacking threat in South Africa.

Lionel Cronje kicked the Kings to a 3-0 lead inside five minutes, and despite their attacking intent, had to wait until the end of the first quarter for the first try as Wandie Mjekevu finished off a slick move to go over in the corner.

Reece Hodge narrowed the gap with a penalty before the half hour, with Cronje adding a second to give the home side a lead at the break, but it should have been more.

If the Kings had been kept in check in the first half, they exploded in the second with Martin Bezuidenhout touching down within three minutes of the restart.

With little going right for the Rebels, it was only a matter of how many points the South African side could rack up. Either side of the hour Tyler Paul and Pieter-Steyn de Wet added tries and as the Rebels defence capitulated Makazole Mapimpi and Masixole Banda scored in the final 10 minutes in a victory that puts them above the Lions in the South African conference.