Lion cubs roar with a touch of 'youthful naivety'
REACTION: Lions coach Mziwakhe Nkosi believes “youthful naivety” was the only barrier between his side and a perfect performance against the Pumas at Ellis Park on Saturday.
The home side scored seven tries on their way to crushing Jimmy Stonehouse’s team 52-29 in the Currie Cup Round Two encounter.
Several youngsters produced eye-catching performances, including backline duo Latica Nela and Likhona Finca, who were both on the scoresheet.
While the margin of victory against an experienced Pumas outfit is impressive, Nkosi knows that his side could’ve been more ruthless.
“I think you still saw a little bit of youthful naivety, particularly from minute 69 to 75,” said Nkosi.
“We didn’t really bury the game and take it away from the Pumas until later on, but having said that, we’ve got to keep fighting with these players.
“It’s two more first-class games behind them, and hopefully they grow and grow in terms of being exposed to the rigours of first-class rugby.
“If you look at that Pumas team, their pack came at us just before the half, and we had to learn one or two lessons there, particularly from a collision point of view.”
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Saturday’s win was a great response after their Round One defeat to the Cheetahs and now a mouthwatering Jukskei Derby against the Bulls awaits.
“If you look at the game we played last week against the Cheetahs, we thought we were a bit unfortunate, but only on our own doing,” Nkosi added.
“Today [Saturday] having played the way we wanted to play, we put together a whole lot more positive things than what we did last week.
“No doubt there will be one or two smiles in the changeroom, and they will start believing in their own talent.
“They will believe in the way they want to play, and they will grow more and more in their own abilities.”
@rugby365com
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