Roaring Lions still cautious of Kings
ADVENTUROUS running rugby is on the cards when the Southern Kings get to grips with the Lions in a Super Rugby showdown at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on Saturday (kickoff 3.05pm).
The Kings, energised by their fighting showing against the Sharks in Durban, will be keen to put on a show for their home fans before they embark on a three-week tour to Australia.
Almost 10 000 fans watched their last home game against the Stormers, and the Kings will be looking for an even bigger turnout as they bid to tame last year’s beaten Super Rugby finalists.
By the same token, the Lions will arrive in Port Elizabeth ready to roar after demolishing the Reds 44-14 in their last outing, at Ellis Park.
“We need to be up there on Saturday because we are playing one of the best teams in the competition,” Kings head coach Deon Davids said.
“The Lions are a very talented team no matter who they field and they play the game at a massive tempo. We need to be switched on from the start and it is a game where we need to give everything.
“If we look at the game against the Sharks, we had a tendency to kick the ball away where maybe we could have held on to it.
“In this game we will look to see more of holding on to the ball. I hope we get a big crowd and the boys really live from their support.”
When they went down 19-17 against the Sharks, the Kings came tantalisingly close to clinching their first win over South African opponents in Super Rugby.
Gaining that elusive maiden victory, however, will not be easy against a Lions outfit packed with explosive players.
The Lions ran in seven tries against the Reds to emphasise their prowess with ball in hand
There were two tries for the Kings in Durban, and Davids will want an even bigger tally of five-pointers against the Lions. The players who got over the whitewash for the Kings in Durban were loose forward Ruaan Lerm and wing Makazole Mapimpi.
The Lions are likely to be without utility back Jaco van der Walt‚ prop Johannes Jonker and centre Lionel Mapoe, but they will still be formidable opponents.
Lions coach Johan Ackermann said that depending on the injuries, some players could be rested against the Kings.
“Some players I do believe can do with some game time, but there are one or two positions we are looking to freshen up,” Ackermann said
“That is not saying we want to weaken the side, and we believe in any the player who will come in. But we will reassess, and must look at our injuries.
“You can’t underestimate the Kings. They will be tough at home, and we need to go down there and get a result. So we will need our best possible team,” he said.
The Kings will name their team today.