KINGS BREAK LOSING JINX
Davids all praise after men thrash Dragons
SOMETHING special was looming for the Southern Kings even before they kicked off their PRO14 match against the Dragons, head coach Deon Davids said. When his team warmed up at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth, Davids said he could sense that his players would deliver a notable performance.
Davids’s premonition proved to be correct, because his team went on to thrash the Dragons 45-13 and break a 16-game losing streak.
Playing with passion and attacking flair, the Kings outscored the Welsh side by six tries to one in front of 4 574 jubilant fans.
After leading 14-13 at the break, the on-fire Kings blew the Welsh away in the second half with four unanswered tries.
“I think there was a big belief among the players, and I could sense in the warmup that something special was coming,” Davids said.
“I am glad that the guys kept their heads and stepped it up in the second half. It was also a tremendous effort from the guys coming off the bench.
“It required a total team effort to pull this one through for us. It has been a tough season up until now.
“I’m very happy for the players because they stuck in there emotionally and physically, and it has been hard on them.
“We have also come from a long overseas tour with a short turnaround, so it needed character to put in a performance like this.
“I want them to suck in the winning feeling and it is important to enjoy the journey that we are in.
“The players must take note of the scenery around them as we go from point A to point B. Sometimes you get to a certain place and get a win, but you do not realise how you got there.
“We must take all these lessons in. When you are down and out and you get a reward like this, it is always sweeter. It’s nice to taste success if it is hard-earned and you have to work for it.
“Sometimes you don’t appreciate things when they happen too easily for you. This is humbleness that the game teaches you. I commend my players on the way they reacted and for getting this result.”
Ecstatic Southern Kings skipper Michael Willemse also praised his team.
“I spoke to the guys and told them that they make it easy for me to lead them. When I asked them to do something, everyone bought into it and it was a collective effort,” Willemse said.
“They all stuck their hands up and I am very proud of them. But it does not stop here. We need to carry on for the last four games of the season.”
Dragons skipper Lewis Evans gave credit to the Kings for their attacking style of play.
“It was a shame the way we capitulated. That try just before half time was tough to take, but then we just compounded more errors in the second half,” Evans said.
“We couldn’t convert possession into points. We had reasonable pressure at times and would go multi-phase but just turned the ball over.
“Credit to the Kings for their attacking play and how they dealt with our pressure. But there are lessons to be learnt and some harsh words to be said. We need to get better,” Evans said.
Davids had told his team he wanted them to bring a dog-fight mentality into the battle and they responded with a fighting display.
Scorers: Southern Kings 45: Tries: Luzuko Vulindlu (2), Masixole Banda, Ruaan Lerm, Anthonie Volmink, Bobby de Wee. Conversions: Kurt Coleman (6). Penalty: Kurt Coleman. Dragons 13: Try: Dorian Jones. Conversion: Dorian Jones Penalties: Dorian Jones (2).