Lions prop Asenathi Ntlabakanye has credited the senior players of the team for keeping the group together when the franchise was facing media scrutiny.
Last month reports in the media emerged about the Lions players not being happy with the coaching staff and the union being in financial disarray. Adding to that, the team was not doing well on the field. However, they seemed to have changed things around.
Amid the said turmoil, Ivan van Rooyen’s side has picked up back-to-back wins in the United Rugby Championship (URC), defeating Glasgow Warriors at Ellis Park and following that up with a win over rivals the Bulls at Loftus Versfeld in the past weekend.
The team’s character was tested as the results were not good, and the media pressure was filtering in the dressing room, but the Lions look to have found their roar.
“I must credit the senior group. They pulled us all together,” Ntlabakanye told Sowetan yesterday on the sidelines of the Jonsson Workwear Open launch at Steyn City.
“The previous three weeks have been immensely good for us as a team and union. The senior guys did pull us together, that has shown on the field in the last few weeks and how much we care about the union and ourselves.
“There’s always going to be noises from outside. It’s just a matter of us focusing on the main thing and letting the main thing stay the main thing – which is rugby,” said the 23-year-old.
Things are looking up for the Lions. They are back in contention to make the playoffs of the URC and have a last 16 Challenge Cup date next month against French Giants Racing 92. Ntlabakanye says they will take it a game at a time and not get ahead of themselves.
“We are taking it game by game. I mean, if you had said to me five weeks ago we would beat the Bulls at Loftus, I would have bitten your hand off for that.
“We are just taking it game by game. We have Benneton now, and that will be our next focus within the next few weeks. We’ll go to Italy to focus on the next game. That will be our main job and not get too ahead of ourselves,” he said.
Lions get their mojo back after rough patch
Senior players credited for resurgence
Image: Dirk Kotze
Lions prop Asenathi Ntlabakanye has credited the senior players of the team for keeping the group together when the franchise was facing media scrutiny.
Last month reports in the media emerged about the Lions players not being happy with the coaching staff and the union being in financial disarray. Adding to that, the team was not doing well on the field. However, they seemed to have changed things around.
Amid the said turmoil, Ivan van Rooyen’s side has picked up back-to-back wins in the United Rugby Championship (URC), defeating Glasgow Warriors at Ellis Park and following that up with a win over rivals the Bulls at Loftus Versfeld in the past weekend.
The team’s character was tested as the results were not good, and the media pressure was filtering in the dressing room, but the Lions look to have found their roar.
“I must credit the senior group. They pulled us all together,” Ntlabakanye told Sowetan yesterday on the sidelines of the Jonsson Workwear Open launch at Steyn City.
“The previous three weeks have been immensely good for us as a team and union. The senior guys did pull us together, that has shown on the field in the last few weeks and how much we care about the union and ourselves.
“There’s always going to be noises from outside. It’s just a matter of us focusing on the main thing and letting the main thing stay the main thing – which is rugby,” said the 23-year-old.
Things are looking up for the Lions. They are back in contention to make the playoffs of the URC and have a last 16 Challenge Cup date next month against French Giants Racing 92. Ntlabakanye says they will take it a game at a time and not get ahead of themselves.
“We are taking it game by game. I mean, if you had said to me five weeks ago we would beat the Bulls at Loftus, I would have bitten your hand off for that.
“We are just taking it game by game. We have Benneton now, and that will be our next focus within the next few weeks. We’ll go to Italy to focus on the next game. That will be our main job and not get too ahead of ourselves,” he said.
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