‘Kings players embrace fitness challenge’

Lung-bursting, repeated sprints drills are being used to pump up fitness levels at the Isuzu Southern Kings, interim head coach Robbi Kempson said.

After his team slumped to a fifth consecutive home defeat against Connacht, Kempson said there would be a big emphasis on physical conditioning.

“The players have come out firing this week,” Kempson said.

“We did a repeated sprint drill to start off training on Tuesday, which is quite taxing on the lungs.

“It is good to see the positive manner in which the players are approaching what we are trying to achieve.

“Many of the players came back with a very different mindset and I think the break certainly did help.

“It is a very attritional programme we are on.

“Having a couple of losses, specially after the close first defeat against the Cheetahs, really took it out of them.”

It was heartbreak for the Kings in January when the Cheetahs scored a try and landed a conversion after the hooter to snatch a last-gasp 3130 win.

Leading 30-17 after 71 minutes, it looked as though the Kings had the game in the bag until the Cheetahs launched a furious assault in the final moments of the game.

“After losing to the Cheetahs for a second time in Bloemfontein, we then went on our European tour and did not have the greatest results there,” Kempson said.

“Again, there were missed opportunities against Connacht, so the break came at a good time for the lads to get away.”

Kempson said cutting out mistakes was a focus at training.

“We had a very good day with the guys on Monday regarding the intensity that we are trying to achieve.

“The Kings are making critical mistakes at critical times, which is costing us games.

“We have to concentrate on that aspect of play, and we are putting those processes in place with the intensity and manner in which we train and the way we would like to play the game.

“The backs and forwards did full contact.

“It is an aspect the coaches have concentrated on and the players have bought into.

“Our head of athletic performance, Wayne Taylor, generally comes twice a week to work with the high performance unit.”

This week the team concentrated more on game-related fitness and intensity, he said.

After winning only one of their opening 13 matches, the Kings are stranded at the bottom of Conference B.