MUST LEARN LESSONS
Long campaign looms ahead for EP
DAY one of the new rugby season begins for the EP Kings on Monday when the squad regroup after their festive season break to start preparing for what promises to be a long and demanding campaign.
Apart from a few pre-season practice matches, the action kicks off in earnest when the Kings face the Kenyan Simba 15 at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on March 21.
This competition for will take on extra meaning for the Kings this year because they plan to field full-strength teams in the build-up to the Currie Cup later in the year.
A flamboyant brand of running rugby coupled with a leaky defence and inexperienced players all contributed to the failure of the Kings when they returned to the Currie Cup Premier Division last year.
An inexperienced coaching team, led by head coach Carlos Spencer, also had to deal with a group of young players who were struggling to make the adjustment to the top tier of South African rugby.
The Kings have also admitted that in the lead-up to the Currie Cup they erred by not playing their best team in the Vodacom Cup.
This would have enabled the Kings to develop a battle-hardened group of players ahead of their return to the top flight after a 12-year absence.
Eastern Province adopted a policy of using club players in the Vodacom Cup while the so-called “elite” players were busy with an intensive conditioning phase ahead of the Currie Cup.
However, lessons have been learnt and fans can expect a major shake-up in how the Kings prepare for next year’s Currie Cup campaign.
There will be enforced changes in the coaching ranks, because defence coach Michael Horak has left for the Sharks and forwards guru Shaun Sowerby is set to join French club Montpellier.
On their way to losing nine of their 10 Currie Cup matches, the Kings leaked 53 tries, which is unacceptable at the top level.
Highly-rated Omar Mouneimne, formerly of the Southern Kings and Edinburgh, is set to replace Horak and will be keen to plug the gaping holes in the Kings’ defence. When the Southern Kings played Super Rugby in 2013, defence coach Mouneimne and head coach Alan Solomons ensured that the Port Elizabeth team were a solid defensive unit.
When EP president Cheeky Watson reviewed the season he said defence was a matter that needed urgent attention.
Watson said the Kings would make great strides forward next year because Spencer knew his players much better after their Currie Cup comeback season.
“I think we are going to see a totally different team next year because everyone has worked through the system. The only way you learn is when you get thrown in at the deep end.
“We have worked day and night since our last game against the Pumas.
“We are working through the problem areas and putting structures in place within the team. We are going through the whole process.
“The coaches did not know their players, and strengths and weaknesses. So it was difficult for the coaches. They did not know the ability of the players calling the lineouts and the feel of the hookers when it came to their throw-ins.
“In hindsight, the coaches were a little bit in the dark.”
Watson said it was not always possible to learn about your players on the training pitch.
“If you talk to me, who has played a little bit of rugby, you will find players that are 150% above their potential on the practice field.
“Put them between the white lines on match day, it goes down to 10%.
“A lot of times the practice field is just not a true reflection. With the match comes all the pressure, the crowd.
“The amazing thing I have found is you see players going through the motions on the training field and then delivering when the pressure is on.
“These are things that the coaches had to find out and work through during the season,” Watson said.
The EP Rugby Union president said specialists who were the top people in their fields would be brought to help the Kings in certain areas.
Hopes are now high that the hard lessons endured this year will enable the Kings to be far more competitive in 2015.