The Southern Kings put up a brave performance but were ultimately downed by their leaky defence as they went down 47-34 in a 12-try festival against the Queensland Reds in Brisbane on Saturday.
The Kings were certainly competitive, and continue to impress on attack, but will rue some of the defensive mistakes they’ve made on their tour of Australia that have been the difference between winning and losing.
Still, for a side on the brink of exiting the competition permanently, the Kings have improved in leaps and bounds under coach Deon Davids and certainly have increased the pool of players that are competing at Super Rugby level.
But against a side like the Reds, who have been struggling themselves to find form, their mistakes were punished badly and a slump early in the second half took away the chances of them getting a victory away from home.
To look at the match stats underlines the attacking potential of the Kings, as they outgunned the Reds in terms of metres made, carries and defenders beaten, but ended up on the wrong side of the scoreboard with a defence that didn’t always fire.
Add to that a lineout that was stuttering to say the least, and there are certainly work-ons for the side, but no lack of heart for the team as they went head to head with one of Australia’s best sides.
The Reds certainly at times looked to run away with the game, and were more clinical, but the Kings kept coming back at them, and refused to lie down.
The home side were first on the board, but first had a try disallowed before winger Eto Nabuli went in at the corner to get an early lead.
And despite some heavy pressure on their own line, the Kings scored next, as the impressive winger Makazole Mampimpi stabbed through a kick that was perfectly collected by Chris Cloete to even up the scores.
A superb change of direction and a strong running line by fullback Karmichael Hunt wrong-footed the Kings defence close to the half hour mark to retake the lead, but the Kings would close the half strongly, with Lionel Mapoe’s penalty bringing them within four points at the break.
Then the opening 10 minutes of the second half hit the Kings’ hard, as they conceded a brace of tries that left them chasing the game.
First it was a great lineout move by George Smith and Scott Higginbotham, as the two loose forwards combined in a one-two to give the veteran opensider a try and then Nabuli found too much space on the outside to score his second try of the game.
Louis Schreuder pulled one back for the Kings from a counter attack but then Hunt hit straight back, taking a grubber from Quade Cooper in a move that looked suspiciously forward before Hunt got the ball.
Izala Perese made it a hurdle too far for the Kings with two quick tries on the hour mark but the visitors were far from giving up on the game, despite the big deficit.
The Kings hit three times in eight minutes to bring them back on the scoreboard, with Mapimpi first going over in the corner before Masixole Banda showed the Reds defence a clean pair of heels to add a second shortly afterwards.
Mapimpi got his second to bring the Kings within two scores of their opposition and give them some hope.
But a final surge two minutes from time saw Banda bundled out in the corner, and gave the Reds the win to end the entertaining contest.
Scorers
Queensland Reds – tries: Eto Nabuli (2), Karmichael Hunt (2), George Smith, Izala Perese (2). Conversions: Quade Cooper (6).
Southern Kings – tries: Makazole Mapimpi (2), Chris Cloete, Louis Schreuder, Masixole Banda. Conversions: Lionel Cronje (2), Pieter-Steyn de Wet. Penalties: Lionel Cronje
- Supersport
