VIDEO: Currie Cup champions for 10 seconds
REACTION: Lions Currie Cup coach Mziwakhe Nkosi went through the motions of being champion for ten seconds before a leadership malfunction in his team handed the golden cup to the Sharks on a silver platter.
The gutted Lions coach was honest during the post-match briefing after the Currie Cup Final, saying he could not explain what happened in the last 30 seconds after the hooter had gone.
It was the type of drama every coach has nightmares about.
By the time the hooter went to signal full-time, the Lions were leading by 14-13.
A line-out followed and there was only one option for the Lions – get the ball and kick it out and they would’ve been the team celebrating afterward.
Instead, they decided to maul, they lost the ball, the Sharks got a penalty in the following movement and Jordan Hendrikse slotted a monster kick to snatch victory for his side.
“I can’t explain it either. We were Curie Cup champions for 10 seconds, and just in the moment that leadership lacked presence.
“All we had to do was call a line-out where the nine was in front, throw the ball in the front, get the ball, and kick it out.
“We proceeded to maul it, they turned it over. I thought the call in the end was a bit harsh,” a straight-talking Nkosi said.
“Either way, we should’ve kicked the ball out and become Currie Cup champions.
“Instead Plum [John Plumtree] and them have started their season on a good note.
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It was evident that the loss had hit him hard. As the Lions’ Under-21 coach, Nkosi was given free rein to take ownership of the Currie Cup side this season, something he did with valor, losing only one game in the league stages.
“To lose like that in the Final, with young kids against a team that is probably worth the value of Ellis Park…
“But it’s the game of rugby, there is very little we can do.
“I have to rock up on Monday and coach the Under-21s again.
“It’s a big loss for me personally.
“You don’t get too many opportunities to get into finals, and to win finals.
“I thought we put ourselves in a position to win the Final.
“So pretty gutted that we didn’t,” the coach shared.
He said it was tough to see Sharks Jordan Hendrikse leave the media centre having just been interviewed about the kick that won the Sharks the game.
Especially as the flyhalf had only left the Lions for the Sharks a few months ago.
“It’s heartbreaking to see Jordan who kicked the winning kick when I recruited him from Maties B-field.
“But I guess that’s rugby hey.
“We’ve got only ourselves to blame, we can’t make excuses.
“Had we mauled, got the line out, kicked it out, I probably would’ve come here before Plum,” Nkosi exclaimed, referring to the protocol of the winning coach attending the post-match press conference first.
“The result we got until 80 minutes and 30 seconds, is the way I want to coach the game and play the game.
“And the way I want to lead teams, so that was good for me,” he concluded.
Captain Jaco Visagie was a broken man afterward.
“I honestly thought we had it,” he said, referring to the last maul.
“I thought it was over … that last maul was static for 20 seconds. It’s heartbreaking stuff.”
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