Benetton’s big boys a worry for Kings, says Tango
Benetton Treviso’s big, strong ball carriers could pose problems for the Isuzu Southern Kings in a Guinness PRO14 clash on Saturday, Kings hooker Tango Balekile has warned.
Balekile, who was on the bench when the Kings lost to Connacht on Sunday, is expected to be promoted to the starting line for the clash at the Madibaz Stadium in Port Elizabeth.
The reason for the switch is that Alandre van Rooyen, who started at No 2 against Connacht, is out after sustaining a concussion.
“We are looking forward to the game against Treviso after all the hard work we have been putting in during training,” Balekile said.
“It is about grafting hard on the training pitch and then executing at the weekend.
“The Kings are looking to target this Treviso game.
“The Kings want to impose on them what we have been doing in training.
“Treviso are a good bunch with big, strong ball carriers – now we want to impose ourselves on them.”
Kings coach Deon Davids said changes to the team could be expected for Saturday’s clash and there could be a new centre pairing.
“We have a few injuries which will mean changes,” Davids said.
“Centre Berton Klaasen has a leg injury and his centre partner, Harlon Klaasen, also has an injury.
“We are also looking at the work rate of Yaw Penxe, who has played every game and done well.
“This will enable us to see what Fijian Meli Rokoua can do from the start, and Tertius Kruger has also been good.
“With Martin du Toit suffering from a knee injury, Ntabeni Dukisa would have been the logical choice at No 10.
“But Ntabeni has a shoulder injury, so Masixole Banda will shift in at No 10.
“A guy like Michael Botha will now get a chance.
“We would also like to get Ulrich Beyers in the mix, but he has a groin injury.”
Davids said his team were frustrated with themselves after losing to Connacht.
“We were frustrated because we were flat-footed and we were not happy with the energy and intensity we brought to the game.
“The Kings have to look at ourselves where we went wrong.
“Now we want a big performance against Treviso.
“How we do things is important for me. If we play properly and there is a massive effort, even if we don’t get the result, that is important.”
Benetton will not bolster their touring squad with their resting international stars before they face the Kings.
Fifteen regular players were absent from the Treviso team when they were beaten 31-25 by the Cheetahs on Saturday – they were playing for Italy in the European autumn internationals.
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