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Cape Town - Waratahs
boss Daryl Gibson has taken the responsibility for his side’s lowest
ebb in recent memory, after losing to the Kings on Friday.
The last time the Waratahs found themselves on the wrong side of a surprise South African loss at home was a 2011 defeat to the Cheetahs, a game after which they were booed off the field, though the fan response wasn't nearly as emphatic against the men from Port Elizabeth on Friday.
A 26-24 loss to the Kings, a team on the brink of being cut from Super Rugby, leaves the Waratahs with just two wins from eight games and though it was the players who Gibson said ‘lacked urgency’, it was he who should take responsibility, he said.
"At the end of the day, the coach is responsible for that performance," he said after the match.
"Every time we lose at home, that’s the most disappointing thing.
"Our fans, the expectation we have for ourselves at home are really high.
"Tonight, we were a long way from our best and as the coach it’s disappointing."
Though he took much of the blame, Gibson said the next week would be a ‘soul-searching’ one.
"I think there’s going to be a lot of soul searching in terms of looking at themselves very deeply," he added.
"That goes for everyone in the organisation around (asking) ‘Are we at our best, is everyone doing their jobs to the highest ability that they’re capable?
"Only the players can answer that."
