The Southern Kings’ stay in Sun City this week ahead of their crucial Vodacom Super Rugby clash with the Vodacom Bulls at Loftus on Saturday is providing the perfect opportunity for the side to re-focus on the two remaining matches of the season.
Following the long and tiring trip from Buenos Aires, where the Southern Kings beat the Jaguares 31-30 last weekend, the Eastern Cape side returned to South Africa on Monday and set up camp in Sun City before heading to Pretoria on Friday for the match against the Bulls on Saturday (kick-off is at 17h15).
“It’s a big privilege for us to be able to stay this week at Sun City – a world class facility – and it just helps us to focus on the things that we have to focus on for the remaining two matches,” said prop Schalk Ferreira, who made his return from a long-term biceps injury when he came on from the bench in Buenos Aires last Saturday.
Head coach Deon Davids added: “It’s a privilege to be at Sun City to prepare for this upcoming game against the Bulls. We want to thank all the people who worked very hard behind the scenes to ensure that we settled very well.
“It was a very tiring trip from Argentina back to South Africa. We know that for this week it is important that we build progressively into Saturday. I hope that when we start the match on Saturday everyone will be well rested, energized and well-prepared so that we can be competitive against the Vodacom Bulls.”
The Southern Kings are pleased to have started the final leg of the 2017 Vodacom Super Rugby campaign after the June break on a high with the victory over a quality Jaguares side, in their own backyard at Estadio Jose Amalfitani.
“The match against the Jaguares was a big victory for us,” Ferreira said.
“I think we have proven that we can travel well, and that the longer we play together the better we perform.
“But I do think that beating the Jaguares after taking more than 60 points last year was personally a big victory, especially after they (Argentina national team) played against England, showing their strength at international level and playing most of those players in the Jaguares team.”
Focus has now shifted to Saturday’s match at Loftus Versfeld for the Southern Kings, where they will take on a Vodacom Bulls side with their tails up following their own impressive win over the Cell C Sharks in Durban last weekend.
“The Bulls would have gained a lot of confidence from their win against the Sharks, and we expect a very tough game,” Davids said from Sun City.
“They are a very proud team with some quality players in their side, players that have been in tremendous form for our national sides, so we know that we also have to be on par in every aspect of the game to ensure that we can compete and put up a good performance against the Bulls. We are looking forward to an excellent game against them.”
Davids will name his team to take on the Vodacom Bulls on Thursday.
The Southern Kings will then travel to Pretoria on Friday ahead of Saturday’s encounter at Loftus Versfeld.
