Kings lose steam to hand Ospreys smash-and-grab victory
SNATCHING a late PRO14 bonus point in a 26-12 win over the Southern Kings on Friday had been a smash-and-grab effort in Swansea, relieved Ospreys interim head coach Allen Clarke said .
After being beaten by Connacht in their previous game, the Ospreys were made to fight by the Kings, who gave away two penalty tries in the closing stages.
The Welsh side looked blunt on attack for long periods and prior to the Kings clash, had managed to score only 22 tries in 14 outings.
After leading 12-7 at the break, the Kings were eventually overpowered by the Welsh side who dominated proceedings in the second half at the Liberty Stadium.
With pressure building on their line, the Kings found themselves down to 13 men when prop Johan Smith and loose forward Eital Bredenkamp were yellow-carded within the space of five minutes by referee David Wilkinson.
After 70 minutes, the Kings still enjoyed a narrow 12-7 lead, but the yellow cards and penalty tries extinguished hopes of a maiden PRO14 win for the South Africans.
The Kings have now lost 15 consecutive games and have leaked 77 tries in a difficult PRO14 debut season. “We converted possession at the end. There is no doubt it was smash-and-grab in terms of getting the five points,” Clarke said.
“I am pleased that we got the five points, but I am a realist in terms of the missed opportunities and that is the biggest frustration for us. We were scrappy and got five points.
“The team were always aware that the Kings could score with one quick break out which they did in the first half.
“We got the five points against the Kings and now we have an important game against the Cheetahs coming up. Hopefully this result will lift the confidence.
“The guys will give it their best shot and hopefully this will propel us up the table.
“This is a team in transition, but there is real drive and determination to achieve qualification for Europe.”
After leaving Swansea emptyhanded, the Kings will have a final chance to salvage something from their European tour against Leinster on Friday.
It has been a tough start to their European PRO14 adventure and things will not get any easier for the Kings at Dublin’s RDS Arena.
The Kings led at the break, thanks to tries from Michael Makase and Michael Willemse, cancelling out scrumhalf Tom Habberfield’s earlier effort for the hosts.
But the Welsh side went back to basics in a scrappy second half and forced two penalty tries from driving scrums before Jeff Hassler secured a bonus point with a late fourth.
While the Kings remained winless, Ospreys closed the gap between themselves and fifth-placed Connacht in Conference A.
Ospreys had not won in their previous five games, but they started on the front foot, with their forwards impressing at the breakdown in wet conditions.
Hard-working loose forward Andile Ntsila, who sparked the Kings’ opening try, was awarded the man-of-the-match award.
The scorers: Ospreys 26: Try: Tom Habberfield. Penalty Tries (2, worth seven points each), Jeff Hassler. Conversion: Sam Davies (1). Southern Kings 12: Tries: Michael Makase, Michael Willemse. Conversion: Martin du Toit (1).