Sharks have respect for Kings’ attack
THE Eastern Province Kings might be finding the going in the Currie Cup premier division tougher than they expected, but their back line has given them a lot to smile about.
They are bottom of the log without a win, despite incremental improvement as the season has progressed.
They take on the defending champions Sharks on Saturday at Kings Park.
The Kings have scored 17 tries and the Sharks 16.
Sharks flyhalf Lionel Cronje, an ardent student of EP coach and former All Black supreme trickster Carlos Spencer, said the Kings’ back line is their most potent weapon, despite their pack’s inability to give them good front-foot ball.
Just because they will be playing a defensively suspect team does not mean the Sharks intend trying to run the Kings off the park on Saturday afternoon, with Cronje saying they are still trying to find the balance between an expansive game and a territorial one.
Cronje is set to continue in his role as the starting pivot, with Lwazi Mvovo, who was released from the Springbok squad, set to start at left wing.
“They are coached by one of the most attacking flyhalves the game has ever witnessed and they are definitely a great outfit on attack. You want to measure
You don’t want to be caught playing too defensively but you also don’t want to be in the position where you try to run from everywhere
yourselves against the better teams, and even though the Kings have been struggling, they showed glimpses of being able to compete,” Cronje said.
“You don’t want to be caught playing too defensively but you also don’t want to be in the position where you are trying to run the ball from everywhere. It is about the balance of being able to play good attacking rugby but also knowing when to play a territorial game.”
The Kings’ biggest weakness, beside their unstable pack, which will be without powerhouse lock Steven Sykes, has been their inability to stem the flow of penalties. This has irritated Spencer no end, and it has often made the difference in their recent encounters.
They were competitive in home games against the Blue Bulls and Golden Lions, but they did not have the composure to withstand a constant onslaught.
The Sharks have built their game around constriction and their ability to milk penalties from teams who cannot maintain discipline.
Cronje’s goalkicking, which will be in the spotlight again, veered from the sublime to the ridiculous against the Bulls, but that has also been the case for reserve flyhalf Fred Zeilinga.
Fortunately, fullback SP Marais has come out of his shell as a relief kicker and with the prospect of punishing an errant Kings side looming, Cronje said that discipline would be key, even though the Sharks will not go out of their way to focus on that aspect.