Werner Kok continues prolific scoring streak for Ulster despite defeat against URC champions Leinster
Werner Kok maintained his excellent scoring record after touching down twice in Friday night’s defeat against URC champions Leinster in Dublin.
Kok has six tries in his last three games, with the South African speedster bagging a brace against Benetton and a double against Cardiff in the European Challenge Cup before his latest scores on Friday and is the second highest try scorer in the URC with five – one behind Benetton’s Louis Lynagh.
However, despite continuing his scoring streak at the Aviva Stadium, the former Springbok Olympic 7s medallist wasn’t in the mood to celebrate after Ulster blew a 10-point lead against Leinster.
Ulster dropped to fifth in the United Rugby Championship but have a game in hand.
“Personally, it’s bittersweet. It’s nice to get over the line and score some tries but it’s all hail to the boys working so hard, and I’m just the guy dotting the ball down,” said Kok.
“It was nice but it’s a 23-man effort and all the boys back home have put in the graft.”
It was the second consecutive game Ulster squandered a double-digit lead after half-time and it was an especially difficult result in Dublin against a much rotated Leinster side.
“Kok added: Very disappointing – you could see it on everyone’s faces. It’s not what we wanted. We know we were in it and that’s the thing that hurts the most, but I know we will bounce back and it’s a big one for us against Connacht.
“It’s a bit of a tough one. The boys played some really good rugby and I think the last 20 minutes, we weren’t as clinical as we should have been.
“A lot of balls went to ground so we’ll just have to look at it and do better.”
Ulster travel to Galway on Saturday evening to face a Connacht side that shipped 48 points in an unexpected defeat to the Dragons.
“We’re starting again on Monday and regrouping, and have a good session with the boys and make sure that we’re all in good spirit to start all over again,” said Kok.
Ulster have scored the most tries in the URC and have amassed the second highest points total, despite having played a game less than the rest of the top eight.
Coach Richie Murphy thinks a key part of the attacking success is how well his son Jack is controlling games from out-half after he won his personal duel with Leinster and Ireland No10 Sam Pendergast at the Aviva Stadium.
“Jack is going well. He has been very good for us throughout the season,” Murphy said. “He is pivotal in how we want to try and play the game.
“He’ll be a little bit disappointed with a couple of things in the second half but he is doing really well.”
Mark Sexton, who arrived from Connacht in the summer, has changed Ulster’s attack.
“Mark has been brilliant since he came in and he has settled in really well, the players have responded really well to him,” added the Ulster boss.
“He has a great knowledge of the game and has a very clear way of getting it across to the players.”
Sexton’s move to Belfast reunited all of Murphy’s Irish U20’s coaching ticket.
He said: “We have a good coaching team in Ulster now and the disappointment of losing to Leinster doesn’t bring us away from the things we’ve done really well.
“Rugby is rugby, it is a different level in the relation to the players you are dealing with. The game doesn’t change that much from 20s to seniors in relation to how it is played, it is still tactical and technical.
“In that area we are starting to show that we are really good. The coaching team is comfortable with each other and the fact that we worked together before is a real benefit.”