‘Kings need to be cool-headed against Zebre’
CLARITY and composure will be needed on attack when the Southern Kings clash with Italian side Zebre at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on Saturday night.
That was the call from Kings coach Deon Davids when he looked ahead to facing an unpredictable Zebre outfit, who lost 54-39 to the Cheetahs on Saturday.
Winless after Pro14 games against the Scarlets, Connacht and Leinster, the Kings are determined to make home-ground advantage count against the Italians.
“When we are in the opponents’ 22, the system is there. We just need to be accurate in our execution and just be a bit more patient,” Davids said.
“So I think our big focus will be about clarity and being more composed in our execution.
“In terms of our game against Leinster, we have made some step ups in certain areas in terms of what we asked for in our set pieces.
“In the second half, we must understand that we are 23 players, not 15, and everyone must contribute and ensure that we keep that momentum,” Davids said.
Against Leinster, the Kings were in the game at half time when they trailed 7-3, but they were undone by three tries in 11 minutes just after the break.
“This will be a normal week in the build-up to the Zebre game. We will sit down and be specific and clear about the areas we need to address,” the coach said.
“We will also look at our player staff in terms of who is available and who is coming back, and assess that.
“We will also have to study our opponents and we will take it from there.”
Asked when fans could see the best of the Kings, Davids said: “I am very realistic in terms of where we are. I am not sitting here making excuses.
“Everyone understands where we come from and the situation that we are in,” he said.
“It is going to take us some time, and I am quite aware of the challenges that we have to address. “We just have to be patient.” The Kings will name their team to face Zebre today.