If the Isuzu Southern Kings start counting their chickens before they hatch against a weakened Munster they will be making a fatal mistake, Kings wing Sibusiso Sithole has warned.
After letting the Cardiff Blues off the hook in their opening game, the pressure is now on the Kings to deliver a win for their home fans at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on Saturday (kickoff 4pm).
They are facing a decimated Munster side that is missing 12 players on World Cup duty for Ireland.
Winning home matches will be crucial if the Kings want to make an impression in the Guinness PRO14 this season.
Asked if a weakened Munster side were ripe for the picking, Sithole said: “You do not want to count your chickens before they even hatch. We will prepare as though we are playing Munster’s No 1 side.
“If we train this week like we are playing a Munster team with their young up-and-coming players we are going to come off second best.
“For us it is just regular business and we will do what we know how to do best.”
Sithole said the Kings were disappointed to lose a tight game to Cardiff.
“Yes, we were disappointed. We always go out there to play our hearts out and play well.
“I thought after the Cardiff game the boys were disappointed because we knew there was a lot more we could have done.
“But there was a lot of good stuff we could take out of the game.
“There is no pressure on us at all. The Kings have a side with experience and young players mixed in.
“This week the senior players have settled the youngsters down.
“It is the first game of the season and you can’t really predict your season from the first game.
“We are focused on how we can become better as a unit.
“Fans can definitely expect an attacking game from the Kings on Saturday.
“The Eastern Cape is known for its speed and flair, so we want to mix that in with a bit of tactical kicking.
“We expect Munster to come hard at us here and they have South African coaches.
“It is going to be hard up front and with speed in the backs.
“We have studied how they play, but we are not solely focused on what they will bring.
“We just want to make sure everything we did right we continue with and fix anything that we need to.”
No counting of chickens for Southern Kings
Image: Michael Sheehan/Gallo Images
If the Isuzu Southern Kings start counting their chickens before they hatch against a weakened Munster they will be making a fatal mistake, Kings wing Sibusiso Sithole has warned.
After letting the Cardiff Blues off the hook in their opening game, the pressure is now on the Kings to deliver a win for their home fans at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on Saturday (kickoff 4pm).
They are facing a decimated Munster side that is missing 12 players on World Cup duty for Ireland.
Winning home matches will be crucial if the Kings want to make an impression in the Guinness PRO14 this season.
Asked if a weakened Munster side were ripe for the picking, Sithole said: “You do not want to count your chickens before they even hatch. We will prepare as though we are playing Munster’s No 1 side.
“If we train this week like we are playing a Munster team with their young up-and-coming players we are going to come off second best.
“For us it is just regular business and we will do what we know how to do best.”
Sithole said the Kings were disappointed to lose a tight game to Cardiff.
“Yes, we were disappointed. We always go out there to play our hearts out and play well.
“I thought after the Cardiff game the boys were disappointed because we knew there was a lot more we could have done.
“But there was a lot of good stuff we could take out of the game.
“There is no pressure on us at all. The Kings have a side with experience and young players mixed in.
“This week the senior players have settled the youngsters down.
“It is the first game of the season and you can’t really predict your season from the first game.
“We are focused on how we can become better as a unit.
“Fans can definitely expect an attacking game from the Kings on Saturday.
“The Eastern Cape is known for its speed and flair, so we want to mix that in with a bit of tactical kicking.
“We expect Munster to come hard at us here and they have South African coaches.
“It is going to be hard up front and with speed in the backs.
“We have studied how they play, but we are not solely focused on what they will bring.
“We just want to make sure everything we did right we continue with and fix anything that we need to.”
Would you like to comment on this article?
Register (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Latest Videos
Most Read
Sport
Sport
Soccer
Rugby
Pages