Coach lashes out after Scarlets loss
Harsh words were spoken in the Isuzu Southern Kings dressing room after they went down 41-34 to Scarlets in a Guinness PRO14 clash, unhappy Kings coach Deon Davids said.
At one stage, it looked as though the Kings had the game in the bag against a depleted Welsh side who virtually stole victory at the death with two late tries at the Madibaz Stadium
After seven starts, the Kings have just a single win to their name and Davids wants his team to make a massive step-up before they face defending champions Leinster in Port Elizabeth on Sunday, November 4.
“I told the players in no uncertain terms that I was not happy with the way we performed,” Davids said.
“Though we did some good things at the start, we just kept letting the opposition back into our half easily and then we had to defend a lot of phases. We just could not get out of our half.
“I am also disappointed in the way my drivers made decisions in specific areas.
“The way we looked after the ball is also unacceptable at this level. These are things we need to get right.
“I think this was one of the games where our discipline was better in terms of the defensive breakdown.”
Davids said his team needed to react better under pressure.
“The players must understand we cannot have situations where people create good opportunities and then just concede a penalty.”
Kings captain J C Astle said he was disappointed his team let the game slip at the end.
“It is not easy to take a loss like that right at the end,” he said.
“Discipline cost us again like every other week. We need to step up and make those penalties not count against us but for us. So we slipped up again.”
It took the Kings two minutes to register the first points when livewire fullback Masixole Banda danced his way through a sluggish defence to score a brilliant solo try.
Banda also kicked four conversions and two penalties and was named Man of the Match.
It says something about the depth of the Welsh side that they were able to emerge victorious despite being without 12 international players who had been called up to the Wales Test squad.
Licking their wounds after consecutive defeats in the Champions Cup to French side Racing 92 and English club Leicester Tigers, Scarlets were desperate for the points on offer.
With their Champions Cup hopes hanging by a thread, the Welshmen know their remaining hopes of glory could lie in lifting the PRO14 trophy. Points scorers: Southern Kings 34: Tries: Masixole Banda, Yaw Penxe, Harlon Klaasen, Bjorn Basson. Conversions: Banda (4). Penalties: Banda (2).
Scarlets 41: Tries: Dafydd Hughes, Will Boyde, Ioan Nicholas, Werner Kruger, Kieran Hardy, Taylor Davies. Conversions: Dan Jones (4). Penalty: Jones.