Bruised Kings admit they never had a chance against the ferocious Lions

Battered and bruised after a 54-10 mauling by the ruthless Lions‚ the Kings coach Deon Davids conceded that they had a bad day in the office after the humbling defeat in Johannesburg on Sunday afternoon.

The Kings conceded eight tries on the day while they only managed to score one as the Lions flexed their muscles to underline their status as genuine contenders for this year’s title.

“The Lions were the better team on the day and we wish them well for the rest of the competition‚" Davids said.

"From our side it was just a bad day in the office because things did not work out for us from the start.

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"There were times when we had the ball in hand but we did not have continuity and we did not take good decisions.

"The Lions were physical in terms of ball carries‚ tackle area‚ contested the rucks very well which affected our continuity.

“Rugby is built on continuity and combinations even though I am not using it as an excuse but it has been a tough week for us.

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"This week we had a lot of disruptions‚ we had injuries‚ players had to play out of positions and also there were guys who came out for the first time to play at this level.”

In their remaining matches of the competition‚ the Kings have two away trips to the Jaguares in Argentina and the Bulls in Pretoria before wrapping up their season with a home clash against the Cheetahs.

“It was a performance that we really have to look back at and learn from and be better going forward. It was a learning school for the guys out there.”

The Kings played 50 minutes of the game with a one man advantage after Lions hooker Robbie Coetzee was sent off for dangerous play.

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But the visitors failed to make use of their numerical advantage on the pitch.

“I thought that with them being a man down we could have created more and better opportunities and better decisions‚" said Davids‚ while also admitting that they missed inspirational captain Lionel Cronje..

"If I look back at all the games that we have played‚ I got a sense from the start that we did not look as sharp as we have looked in the past games.

“You don’t lose a player of that calibre and who is also your captain and replace him with someone else.

"He has a significant influence on the team but we tried to prepare our game because when you lose a player you have to adapt.

"We tried to prepare the guy who came in for him to fill that role but at the end of the day it’s all about experience and combinations but we are not using it as an excuse."

With the month-long break coming‚ Davids said they will have the opportunity to reassess and see how they can prepare going forward.

“It is important for the players to get a rest for about two weeks because when we come back we are away to Argentina and to the Bulls in Pretoria which is going to be tough.

"We must make sure that the players are ready for those clashes.

"We also have the opportunity to relook and reassess how can we prepare better and do things differently.

"As long as there is an opportunity to learn there is an opportunity for growth and we must take the good lessons out of this game and build on for the remaining matches.

 - TMG Digital/TMG Sport