Johannesburg – No one expected them to beat the Western Force in their opening fixture and no one thought they had a chance against the Brumbies last weekend.
But after picking up three log points with a 28-all draw in Canberra last weekend, the pressure to win this weekend against the Rebels is all of a sudden sky-high for the Southern Kings.
“This will be our first game this season where everyone expects us to win, so the pressure’s on,” admitted current Kings skipper Andries Strauss.
“We know though that if we play according to our ability and display the same defensive traits and character that got us the draw last weekend, we can get a positive result. I’d like to think we can win it.”
Certainly positive talk from the veteran midfielder who’s seen and done it all before, with the Sharks and to a lesser extent the Cheetahs. And why not?
The Kings have been a revelation in 2013. Most critics expected them to be swept aside each weekend, conceding plenty of points and being the embarrassment of South African rugby. But, after six games, they’ve won once, drawn once and lost four times ... but that doesn’t tell the whole story. They’ve been competitive in every game and have outscored the Stormers (12) and Bulls (11) in tries, with the Kings touching down 13 times.
“Those three log points picked up last week were really big for us, but we need to back it up with a win this weekend,” said Strauss. “If we can do that we’ll return home next week with momentum behind us and we’re going to need that.”
Next weekend the Kings are up against the Bulls and that match is followed by clashes against the Cheetahs, Waratahs and Highlanders.
Strauss says the first-up win over the Force and then “being in the game” against some other strong outfits has been important for the Kings’ growth. “The youngsters have started believing in themselves and believing they can win and that’s massively important.
“It was always going to be a big challenge this season, with so many players new to the competition. Important for us was making sure everyone was in the right frame of mind ... knowing that what we’re after at the Kings is process-driven, rather than just results-driven.
“We’ve done better than most people expected, but we haven’t surpassed our own expectations. In terms of the log points we’ve collected I feel we could have picked up a few more losing bonus points. But the important thing is we’re growing all the time and the guys have played with character and heart and I think the fans have appreciated that.”
Strauss, as one of the more experienced members of a young squad, said moving down to Port Elizabeth was exactly what he needed. “There’s so much enthusiasm in this group; there’s an excitement factor I haven’t experienced in a long time. You must remember that for many of these guys touring overseas is a new experience and I’ve fed off them, kept myself energised.
“But, at the same time it’s been a challenge to focus on rugby all the time, what with the young guys wanting to explore and see new things.”
Without mentioning any names, Strauss said that already there are a number of young Kings players who’ve stuck up their hands and may be snapped up by some of the other franchises in future. He even forsees some of his players going on to play for the Boks.
“There are guys who’ll start challenging soon ... they’ve done brilliantly and don’t forget they’ve done so outside of their comfort zones, and that says a lot about a player.” – The Star