Kings looking to build on their improved Scarlets showing

IT hasn’t been a happy progression from Super Rugby to the Guinness PRO14 for Southern Kings since they made the leap last season.

In 2017-’18, they finished bottom of Conference B with just one win in their 21 games.

So far this season, it’s been much the same for the southern hemisphere side as they’ve managed just a solitary victory from the opening seven – against Glasgow Warriors in Port Elizabeth.

Heading into Sunday’s clash, they’ve already had the double blow of losing Andisa Ntsila and Luvuyo Pupuma.

Both sustained injuries in last week’s visit of Scarlets, in which the Southern Kings produced a spirited performance.

They led 20-15 at the break before Scarlets’ second-half performance saw them take the points back to Wales.

After a morale-destroying game like that, and on current form, the reigning European and PRO14 champions are the last team that they would have wanted to face.

Leinster had a 31-10 victory on their last trip to the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium but did experience defeat on their trip to the Cheetahs, so they will remain wary.