The Southern Kings finally broke their overseas duck in the PRO14 with a 16-14 win over Ospreys.
The Southern Kings broke their overseas duck in the PRO14 with a 16-14 win over the Ospreys in Swansea, Wales on Saturday.
The victory was the Port Elizabeth-based team’s maiden win of the season and their first one away from home.
Kings fullback Scott van Breda was responsible for 11 of his team’s points landing three penalty goals and a conversion including a long-range shot from inside his own half.
Both teams had to resort to a kick-heavy strategy in wet and slippery conditions in South Wales. Ospreys scored two converted tries, while the Kings’ only five-pointer came early in the first half courtesy of Erich Cronjé. Welsh flyhalf James Hook missed two penalties tipping the match in the Kings’ favour.
Kings coach Robbie Kempson was full of praise of his charges for breaking new ground for the Eastern Cape side.
“It was an unbelievable effort from my boys,” Kempson said.
“We got a bit of the rub of the green here and there, but the defensive effort and the way they dug in when Ospreys were throwing everything at them was just outstanding. I can’t fault a single player.”
Kempson praised his relatively young side for pulling through in foreign conditions.
“What was most encouraging about this performance was that it was achieved by a very young team with a few old guys mixed in,” Kempson said.
Meanwhile, the Cheetahs suffered their third consecutive defeat on tour with a 30-17 loss to the Cardiff Blues due largely to ill-discipline. The Bloemfontein-based team played the majority of the match with only 14 men after Jasper Wiese copped a red card for dangerous play in the 15th minute. The visitors were reduced to 13 men when Gerhard Olivier was yellow-carded shortly before the break.
Cheetahs coach Hawies Fourie rued their ill-discipline although he was proud of their fight back scoring two tries following the red card.
