Lions boss makes bold statement about Nohamba
REACTION: Lions head coach Ivan van Rooyen had plenty of praise for his halfback pairing after their Currie Cup clash against Western Province in Johannesburg.
After coming agonisingly close on several occasions, the Lions finally produced a winning performance to defeat the Capetonians 33-10 at Ellis Park.
Tiaan Swanepoel was the Highvelders’ standout player as the pivot scored a try, slotted two conversions and three penalty goals for a personal contribution of 18 points.
Swanepoel might have been the star of the show, but the Lions boss also had plenty to say about his halfback partner and new recruit, Sanele Nohamba.
“It’s probably the first time Sanele and Tiaan have played together,” said Swanepoel.
“They probably trained together for 80 minutes the whole week, so it was a brand-new combination.
“You could see as the game progressed how Tiaan took charge and kicked the ball well. I am happy for him.
He added: “Sanele is a world-class player and a potential Springbok.
“He is the kind of player that fits the way we want to play.
“He has a good kicking game and he is a nice quick scrumhalf. He has a good pass, and his decision-making is good.
“Sanele has been with us for two weeks now and we are really impressed with what we are seeing. He can be chuffed with his performance.”
Laying the foundation
Van Rooyen said Saturday’s win was part of his team’s “bigger picture”.
“It was extremely important for us to win,” he explained.
“It’s about laying a foundation to go forward.
“As the team selection shows, it’s about looking ahead.
“It’s important for us to perform well, to learn quickly and to show the character like we did in defence.
“It’s a massive win for us. If you look at WP in the last two or three weeks, they were really bringing it and you could see they came to play, so it’s good when looking at the bigger picture.”
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