Kings face forwards onslaught

Bruising encounter against tough Jaguares pack expected in Argentine bullring tomorrow

It will be a bone-jarring confrontation when the Southern Kings attempt to out-muscle prime Argentine beef in a Super Rugby showdown in Buenos Aires tomorrow (1.05am SA time).

Kings prop Schalk Ferreira has warned his teammates the battle will start up front against a fiery Jaguares pack at the intimidating Estadio Jose Amalfitani Stadium.

The burly front-rower, who will start off the bench, is expecting a tough Super Rugby showdown between two proud teams. “It is always a tough forward battle against the Jaguares,” he said.

“They take great pride in their tight five and the battle will start up front.” The Kings have painful memories of their last trip to Buenos Aires, when they leaked 11 tries on their way to a humiliating 73-27 defeat.

The prop is returning to action following a three-month layoff after sustaining a biceps injury against the Sharks in Durban during March.

He said the team enjoyed being on the road and were good tourists. “We only joined together as a team this year. The longer we are together the better the vibe.

“We have seen how we have progressed through every game because we grew tighter as a squad. “The Kings want to maintain their attacking game in their final three games of the season.

It is always good to say we are going for the win, but we actually focus on doing the small things right. “If we do that right, the wins will come.

At the moment, we are taking it step by step,” he said. After their trip to Argentina, the Kings will finish their Super Rugby programme with a match against the Bulls in Pretoria and a home game against the Cheetahs.

Kings head coach Deon Davids, who is unclear about his future after Super Rugby ends, said the team wanted to end their campaign on a high.

“We will go full-out for the last three games to get good results – that is our main focus,” Davids said.

“The Kings are not going to stand back for any of the teams in the last three games and we know it is going to ask a lot of us going to Argentina and then coming back and playing against the Bulls, who I think are on a upward curve.

“Then we have our last game against the Cheetahs, who are also a settled team, so it will be three huge challenges . “That is what Super Rugby is about and we have faced it the whole year.

“If we approach these three games with the same attitude as we have done throughout the season, we can be competitive. “It was a long and tiring trip to Buenos Aires.

The guys were a little tired when we arrived here. “We have done some recovery and had a good team meeting and training session,” Davids said.

In a rotational change, hooker Michael Willemse, who has returned to action following an appendix operation, will regain the No 2 jersey, while Martin Bezuidenhout will provide cover on the bench for the Kings.

Utility back Masixole Banda, who has also been out with a hamstring injury, will provide backline cover on the bench, while recent South Africa U20 representative, Yaw Penxe, will also make a return from the bench.