Southern Kings head coach Deon Davids is accustomed to being rugby's salvage man but there is only so much he can do.
The Kings' group on Pro14 duty lies bottom of Conference B with no wins from six matches. It's in contrast with the rabbit he pulled out of the hat earlier this year.
With a group of vastly underrated players, Davids squeezed blood from a stone and masterminded the Kings' best Super Rugby campaign yet.
They finished fifth, ahead of the Cheetahs and the Bulls, while collecting notable scalps like the Waratahs, Sharks and Bulls.
The uncertainty of the franchise's future before their Pro14 move led to a player flight and Davids started the tournament with a team hastily assembled.
He said they hope they will find their feet after their two-week break.
"It's a difficult situation and not something that you want but we've been working hard. It's harder now than it was at the start of Super Rugby because we had to start so late in the year," Davids said.
"People underestimate the quality of the teams we play against in this tournament. The tournament is of a high standard and that comes with higher demands on players.
OMENS NOT LOOKING GOOD
"We've had a two-week bye where for the first time we've had a chance to take a step back and look at where we are in terms of the team culture, the realistic goals we can set ourselves and what we want to achieve.
"In Super Rugby, we didn't start anything without ensuring that we were on the same page. That built our Super Rugby success...