Cash cautious on Ntlabakanye case, obtains prop cover
REACTION: The Lions are ready for the inevitable, should Springbok prop Asenathi Ntlabakanye’s doping hearing not end well.
Lions coach Ivan van Rooyen confirmed on Saturday, after the Lions secured a stunning victory over the Stormers at Ellis Park, that former Junior Springbok Corne Welbach has joined the Johannesburg side.
Ntlabakanye was given leave this week for “personal family reasons,” and his place was taken by RF Schoeman.
The big Lions prop tested positive for a banned substance last year and was therefore not considered by the Springboks for the end-of-year tour.
He was originally scheduled to face his hearing in December, but the process was delayed due to the availability of expert witnesses and ongoing logistical challenge and the matter was moved to the last week of March.
“We believe and hope the best for him. If it doesn’t turn out that way, that is one of the reasons why Corne [Welbach] joined us recently.” Van Rooyen told reporters at the post-match press conference.
The coach was all smiles after the game and admitted he was tremendously proud of his charges and what they have achieved the last three weeks.
The victory handed the Lions their first-ever United Rugby Championship SA Shield after the Sharks failed to beat the Bulls in Pretoria.
“The biggest lesson we’ve learnt the last two, three weeks is that every game presents a different opportunity, and we’ve grown immensely in terms of mindset and looking for opportunities.
“The intense pressure is the reason why there are errors. Our setpiece didn’t really operate today like we feel we can and want to. We showed immense defensive effort in the last 20 minutes.
“Our body height was a lot better the last few weeks, and that is why we managed to stop momentum.
“This should be our new standard, whether it is attack or defence,” he commented.
This week and last week, the Lions conceded two yellow cards, one of which was upgraded to a red on Saturday. Van Rooyen was asked if there is a discipline issue in his team.
“I’m not sure where Siba [Qoma] could’ve gone differently. The guy is diving for the tryline. If you don’t go for the ball, then he is just going to score the try.
“We want to ask for some clarity there,” he explained, adding, “If you hit him low like you are supposed to, I think [in the case of] Beertjie [Conrad van Vuuren] it’s a 50-50 where the initial contact is.
“Is it a discipline thing from our side? I don’t think so. We are really working hard on body height.
“Both of them are dynamic instances. We would like a bit of clarity,” he concluded.
