Davids laments lost opportunity to beat Sharks

Southern Kings coach Deon Davids says they could have and should have beaten the Sharks but hopes through their performance it has sent a message to other South African teams to stop underestimating them.

The Southern Kings led for the best part of their Super Rugby clash against the Sharks at King's Park but a late Curwin Bosch penalty saw the Sharks escape with an undeserved 19-17 win.

Davids said the team was also aware of the axe hanging over their heads with the SANZAAR announcement with regards to the Kings' bleak Super Rugby future‚ but that it is not something they were focused on.

“I'm not going to encourage teams and I'm not going to say anything in terms of how they manage their players but one thing I can assure you is that we are here to play and we are here to get results. That's our attitude for every game. We are disappointed with the fact we didn't pull the game through but I'm proud of the effort the boys put in. The Sharks were a better side in terms of keeping their cool and playing until the end.” Davids said.

“We've got a huge focus on ourselves and we know there are things that are being said‚ but at the best of times we focus on ourselves and what we can do. We just try not to make it part of our motivational preparation.”

Davids conceded they kept the Sharks in the game with their lack of discipline‚ which saw them play with 14 men at two separate stages of the game. Ross Geldenhuys and Chris Cloete were yellow carded for different infractions but the latter's yellow card allowed the Sharks to force the 52m Bosch penalty that settled the game. Davids said this is a facet they need to improve on if they are to win their South African derbies.

“I know we haven't had continuity from one week to the other and we try to improve every week because we focus on ourselves and we try to get better. We kept the Sharks in the game with our lack of discipline. We conceded too many penalties and two yellow cards‚ plus our tactical kicking was not the best. It kept the Sharks in the game‚” Davids said.

“There were a few tight calls but those are part of the game‚ and I'm not going to sit here and point fingers. Those are things we'll take on the chin and move on.”

- TMG Digital/Sunday Times