Big earners must stand and deliver for Kings
EASTERN Province’s big-earning rugby players need to take a serious look at themselves because they are failing to deliver the goods after crashing to four defeats in five Vodacom Cup matches.
That is the view of former Springbok and SWD Eagles coach Bevin Fortuin after his low-budget team humbled the Kings 31-10 in a Vodacom Cup clash at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on Saturday.
Thanks to the win, Fortuin’s team are set to reach the Vodacom Cup quarterfinals while the Kings dream of a playoff berth is laying in tatters. “It starts with the players,” Fortuin said. “If you look at my players and the Kings, I think they have a budget of I don’t now how many millions. We have to struggle and we don’t have a financial sponsor. I think my guys just want to play the game and I think the Kings players must have a good look at themselves.
“You get players here who get a lot of money and are big names, but they are not delivering on the field. Compare Davon Raubenheimer and Luke Watson. At the end of the day, Raubenheimer is bringing you more for less money,” Fortuin said.
“At the end of the day, it’s all about motivating your players and looking at the bigger picture. It’s all about us going out there and producing the goods."
Fortuin was not surprised by the big winning margin his team managed to achieve.
“The plan was always to come out firing in the first half and to build up a 30-point led and we could then come and finish the game in the second half.
“I believe in the ability of the players. You must let them play and give them the freedom to play. One gets frustrated when they don’t listen to you. But I always thought we could beat them by more than 25 points.
“We expected a big fight and prepared well. I think the guys lifted their intensity because most of these guys are going to be in the Super Rugby squad, so the motivation was always there to deliver.”
The Eagles and Border are the Kings' Super Rugby franchise partners, but Fortuin has doubts as to whether his players will be able to force their way into the Southern Kings squad.
“My players believe they can reach the team and they believe that they are better than some of the Kings players. But I don’t think we get the chances.
“A player like Alshaun Bock is 33 years old and prop Ashley Buys is 35. Buys is a big man and heavy and at the moment, he usually plays every time for 80 minutes.
“I believe deep in my heart that these guys can play Super Rugby. It depends on who is in charge of the Kings to give these players a chance.”
Fortuin said his team had done their homework on the Kings and had studied the video of the game where the Kings lost narrowly to the Free State Cheetahs.
The only points for the Kings came from tries scored by wing Luther Obi and prop Simon Kerrod.