Resilient Kings ready for Lions
THE Souther Kings are ready to bounce back from their defeat against the Brumbies when they face a rampant Lions outfit at Ellis Park on Sunday, defiant skipper Lionel Cronje said.
A massive crowd is expected in Johannesburg as South Africa gets its long-awaited first taste of Super Rugby being played on a Sunday.
The Lions thrashed the Bulls 51-14 at the weekend while the Kings slipped to their first defeat in four outings when they went down 19-10 to the Brumbies in front of 17 000 fans at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.
“It was not the outcome we wanted, but the guys will be up for it next week and it will be another South African derby,” Cronje said.
“I think we created enough opportunities against the Brumbies, but we did not execute well when we had them. We had two or three opportunities in their 22 when we could or should have scored.
“At that time, the score was 10-5 and we could have extended the lead to 17-5 and that could have put us in a position to win the game. We were not clinical enough in that area of the game when we did get the opportunities.
“It was disappointing for the standards we set here in terms of our attack. We defended for 80% of the game and we were still in it right up until the end. I think that bodes well.
“It is a good sign when you are not playing well and can still be in at the end. It was a sign that we are moving in the right direction,” Cronje said.
Kings head coach Deon Davids said the Kings would face a tough battle against South Africa’s leading Super Rugby team on Sunday. The Lions are a quality side and it is not going to become easier.
“It is going to be tough in Johannesburg. We have to pitch there with the right mindset and with a good plan. We also have to be better disciplined and look after our ball better,” he said.
“The Kings can draw a lot of confidence from our first encounter this season against the Lions in Port Elizabeth. It is important to look at ourselves and where we can improve rather than worry about the challenge of the Lions at Ellis Park.” The Brumbies were delighted to secure their first win in six weeks and became the first Australian team to win in South Africa this year.
“We wasted a couple of opportunities in the first half, but the good aspect of the game is that the boys never lost their confidence or composure,” Brumbies coach Stephen Larkham said.
“They fought hard in the second half, particularly where we defended three passages of play and that was a turning point.
“We’ve been working on our attack this year and we saw some opportunities. But defensively we were outstanding.”
Brumbies skipper Sam Carter was a relieved man after the clash.
“Being the first Australian team to win in South Africa is a great achievement. We came over here with a mindset to get a good win and that’s what happened,” Carter said.
“We’ve had a fair bit of territory and possession in the last few weeks, but we haven’t been able to get over the line.
“I thought in the first half when the Kings kept keeping us out, it wasn’t going to happen. But in the second half we got the points.”
SIMON Bolze scored 17 points as the Eastern Province Kings beat Boland Cavaliers 27-16 (half time 7-9) in their SuperSport Rugby Challenge fixture at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on Saturday.
The flyhalf scored a try and kicked three conversions and two penalties as the home side turned around a halftime deficit to record a deserved win.
Both teams came into the fixture having won only one match each despite playing attractive, running rugby.
So it was vital for both teams to register a win to remain in contention for a playoff berth.
Boland started with more urgency and probed the Kings’ defensive lines with some telling runs.
They were eventually rewarded for the early pressure with a penalty in front of the posts, which fullback Divan Nel easily converted.
After absorbing the early assault, the Kings settled down and started playing some structured rugby.
They came close a couple of times but Boland withstood their efforts for a sustained period of time.
There were no points in that period for the Kings. Instead, Nel landed two more penalties for the visitors to lead 9-0 after 28 minutes. The Kings eventually converted all their possession into points when bustling prop Mguca Lupumlo crashed his way over for a try from close range. Bolze added the extra two points.
The Kings struck immediately after the restart, when Bolze powered through a gap to score under the posts.
He converted his own try and then slotted a penalty as the Kings took the lead for the first time in the game.
But the Cavaliers struck back after 57 minutes and reduced the deficit to one point when hooker Clemen Lewis scored their first try and Nel converted.
But Bolze landed another penalty and then replacement flyhalf Garrick Mattheus popped the ball over the Boland defence for left-wing Lonwabo Majola to collect and score the Kings’ third try.
Bolze was again on target with the conversion.