Davids hails kings improvement

The Kings' breakthrough season has seen four of their players rewarded with call-ups to Springbok coach Allister Coetzee's training camp.

Fly-half Lionel Cronje, wing Makazole Mapimpi, fetcher Chris Cloete and loose forward Andisa Ntsila are taking part in the camp which runs from May 21 to May 23.

All four have been vital contributors to a much-improved Kings outfit from previous seasons.

The Kings have won three of their last four games, including a 44-3 demolition of the Rebels.

Coach Deon Davids believes the fact that four of their players are involved with the Springboks is testament to their improvement.

"If you think about the players that were invited and how they took their opportunity … some of those players played first division rugby last year," Davids told Sport 24, pointing to Cronje as a player in the SA rugby wilderness.

"It has just emphasised the importance of this franchise and how if players get an opportunity and if they’re put in a good environment and structure, they can excel.

"It’s a testimony to what we are about and what we try to achieve here. For me, it’s an excellent achievement for the whole team, the region and the individuals.

"It’s something that we mustn’t see out of context. We must understand that even with the challenges and circumstances, these guys excelled by grabbing their opportunity. They must be applauded for that."

The Kings, meanwhile, clash with the Lions in Johannesburg this weekend and Davids believes that teams are paying more attention to his side.

"If you start winning games, other teams start analysing you smarter and it gets tougher," he said.

"We’ve got to work hard to stay that one step ahead and that’s going to be our challenge going into the next few games. 

"As a team we can only get better in terms of how we execute."