Lions count the real cost of Shark Tank blowout
INJURY UPDATE: The Lions suffered a number of serious injuries in their humbling 10-37 loss to the Sharks in a United Rugby Championship Round 10 match at the weekend.
The Sharks built on their impressive Champions Cup form to give the Lions a timely wake-up call ahead of the Johannesburg-based franchise’s trip to Cape Town for a face-off with the defending-champion Stormers this coming Saturday.
Captain and burly lock Reinhard Nothnagel (ankle) is one of three players who suffered injury setbacks in Durban.
He was joined in the crowded Kings Park casualty ward by seasoned prop Sithembiso Sithole (knee) and hooker Pieter Botha (fractured nose).
Lions coach Ivan van Rooyen admitted all three are ‘doubtful’ for the trip to Cape Town, but finality on their situations will only be obtained after assessments on Tuesday.
The latest setbacks come in the wake of other recent injuries suffered by the already stretched Lions’ resources.
Star centre Henco van Wyk missed the trip to Durban after he suffered an elbow injury in the Challenge Cup Round Two match against Stade Francais at Ellis Park earlier this month.
#⃣WEEKEND WRAP: We look at the best-performing #SouthAfrican players in the @LeagueOne_JP #Rugby 🏉#RugbyUnion🌍
🔗https://t.co/TCx2Pdzmhm pic.twitter.com/OwqIdqTJ0q— rugby365.com (@rugby365com) December 25, 2022
The coach said the Johannesburg side is hopeful he will return for the URC match against the Stormers.
Prop Ruan Dreyer and No.8 Francke Horn are also still on the sidelines.
The Springbok prop, Dreyer, sustained a hamstring injury during the Lions’ Challenge Cup draw against the Dragons in Round One will be out of action till February.
Against the Stormers, they will have to dig deep into their front row resources, with Sithole and Botha now also sidelined.
“It is a great opportunity for the young guys to play against the superstar Boks [like Frans Malherbe, Joseph Dweba and Steven Kitshoff] to see where they are in their careers,” the coach said.
Meanwhile, Horn will also be sidelined till February.
The No.8 underwent surgery earlier this month after sustaining an ankle injury during the URC clash against the Dragons.
Van Rooyen admitted his team lost the physical and kicking battle in Durban – suffering a humbling 27-point loss.
#REACTION: @SharksRugby boss calls for an 80-minute performance after a five-try win over. @LionsRugbyCo
“It’s just a case of looking at this game and knowing where we can improve and be better.”#rugby #news #URC https://t.co/Va8e10mhME— rugby365.com (@rugby365com) December 24, 2022
“We could feel that we played [a team with] 10 internationals,” the Lions coach said of a team that fielded players like Lukhanyo Am, Rohan Janse van Rensburg, Makazole Mapimpi, Sikhumbuzo Notshe, Thomas du Toit, Siyamthanda Kolisi, Jaden Hendrikse and Ben Tapuai.
He said the Sharks managed to ‘punish’ his team when they did not stick to the systems and allowed the homed team to build momentum.
However, he denied that the players were ‘disinterested’ and simply were not organised enough on defence at times.
“When you gift them possession and are unstructured, they will expose you,” Van Rooyen said.
The Lions coach admitted that the ‘difference in physicality’ when playing South African teams is what is causing the Lions their biggest problems – resulting in them not having won a local derby since November 2021.
“It is going to be similar pressure next week when we face a Springbok-laden Stormers team.
“The ability of those Springboks to turn it on, and when they have you under pressure to just finish it off, is world-class.
“That is why they perform as they do and we will face the same next week – a counter-attacking game and a good set piece.
“We don’t have a lot of time to fix it, but we have to make sure we are ready for the game.”
The team will have Monday off to spend ‘quality time’ with their family, before starting preparations for the trip to Cape Town.
@king365ed
@rugby365com
