Kings must hold onto ball – Spencer

IF the EP Kings want to be successful in the Currie Cup Premier Division, they are going to have to hold onto the ball longer and go through more phases.

That was the assessment of Kings' head coach Carlos Spencer after his team slipped to a 34-12 defeat against Wales in an international friendly in front of 15000 fans at Mandela Bay Stadium on Tuesday.

"The biggest thing for me in terms of attack is that we just have to hold onto the ball. We looked good when we had the ball against Wales, but it is no good looking good for three or four phases," Spencer said.

"We have to have continuous phases and hold onto the ball for nine, 10 and 11 phases. That is when we will create opportunities and at the moment we are just not doing that. So that is the biggest thing going forward.

"The Kings have got to hold onto the ball and look after it.

"I think we can take a lot of confidence into the Super Rugby friendly against the Bulls next Friday," Spencer said.

Outscored by five tries to two by the Welsh, Spencer says hard work lay ahead on the training pitch ahead of their opening Currie Cup Premier Division match against Western Province on August 8.

"Look, I'm reasonably happy and I think it was a good start for us and I took a lot of positives out of the game," Spencer said.

"OK we gave away 34 points, but we can work on that.

"I thought some individuals really played well against Wales, but we have work to do as a team.

"In terms of our first hit out of the season I am proud of the blokes.

"I think that we showed commitment and energy for 80 minutes, though there were errors here and there.

"In terms of where we are heading, I think we are on the right track. We just have to keep working hard.

"I was happy with the work rate. We wanted to work hard for 80 minutes and we did and it paid dividends and we scored the last try. We have set a platform," Spencer said.

The former All Black flyhalf, said eight or nine players would have gained confidence from their performances against the Welsh.

"A couple of guys let themselves down in terms of execution and decision-making.

"Apart from that, the younger guys can be proud of themselves because they came up against a good Welsh team. They fronted up and did not back down physically," Spencer said.

After the game against the Bulls XV, the Kings clash with the Sharks XV on July 4 before they return to the Currie Cup in August after a 12-year absence.

Spencer is likely to blood some more of his new signings against the Bulls as he seeks to find his best starting lineup for the Currie Cup.

Players like Luke Watson and Paul Perez could have their starts against the Bulls as the countdown clock to the testing Currie Cup continues to tick.

Watson had been keen to play against Wales, but Spencer opted to keep him on the sidelines until he is 100% fit. - George Byron