Never-say-die attitude earned Kings win, says Sykes
INSPIRATIONAL Southern Kings skipper Steven Sykes said it was his team’s heroic never-say-die attitude while they were frantically defending their tryline that sparked a thrilling 33-28 win over Japan’s Sunwolves at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.
The Kings built a “brick wall” defence against the Sunwolves on their way to clinching their first win of the Super Rugby season, which also lifted them off the foot of the overall table.
Sykes was in the thick of the action throughout and scored a memorable try in his 101st Super Rugby outing as the Kings held on for a significant victor y.
“If we keep going like this it is going to be a special season,” Sykes said.
“Afterwards I told the guys I was proud of them and thanked every one of them for their commitment, specially on defence.
“We had a never-say-die attitude on our tryline when they attacked for numerous phases.
“That defensive aspect was really great for me.
“The win was special because we have a lot of young guys with a fighting spirit.
“They are always so keen and they want to play even though we lost our first couple of games. The guys are enjoying it and the coaching staff are trying to make it a great environment, so hats off to them.”
Sykes was particularly pleased that the win had come in front of their supporters at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.
“It is an amazing feeling to get a win here at home. We really worked hard for it and hopefully we can get momentum and keep on going,” he said.
“Not for one moment did I think we would lose this game, even though we make it difficult for ourselves at times. That is inexperience and that will come right hopefully.
“For every single game we have had a great start and now we need to work hard to get rid of those soft moments, and I believe that will come. I am very proud of the guys.”
The experienced Sykes was chosen to lead the hastily assembled team after SA Rugby took control of the franchise last year due to the Kings’ financial problems.
Before Saturday’s win, the Kings were beaten by the Sharks, Chiefs, Hurricanes and Crusaders.
Kings coach Deon Davids thanked the crowd of 5 437 that supported his team in what turned out to be a special day for the home side.
“I must say thanks to the crowd who pitched up to support us. The energy we got from them helped us pull through. It means a lot for the team,” Davids said.
The other try scorers for the Kings were Malcolm Jaer, Shane Gates and Elgar Watts.
On Saturday, the Kings face the Bulls in round seven in the competition at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium. The Sunwolves travel to Cape Town to play the Stormers on Friday.
Sykes said the team would now be focusing on a tough game against the Bulls.
“We need to work hard every single weekend to make sure we are on top of our game.”
