Praising the Lions’ efforts over the past few seasons, head coach Mziwake Nkosi says the Pride team will go for the Currie Cup title at Ellis Park on Saturday.
Nkosi’s side host a Sharks XV at Ellis Park in the representative fixture of rugby’s oldest competition after beating defending champions the Cheetahs in the semi-finals in Johannesburg last week.
The Lions and Cheetahs shared 12 tries between them as the game ended at 19-19, but Sanele Nohamba’s stunning touchdown in the final quarter gave the Lions a commanding 43-34 win.
Speaking after Saturday’s game, Nkosi highlighted the hard work and resilience the Lions have shown to build a competitive squad, but warned Durban against going overboard against the Sharks after their thrilling extra-time win over Vodacom Bulls.
“As far as the franchise goes, it’s huge. We didn’t have the wealth that other franchises might have had recently. When they were doing well, we were probably at the bottom and trying to get up,” he told the outlet.
Recap: Sanelli helps Lions reach finals
“What this Curry Cup has done is create a situation where there are 35 players available now, many of whom have first-class experience. The URC coaches have a strong group to choose from, and this has created competition and healthier depth at a number of positions.
“This will help us in URC, EPCR and especially managing turnovers in games when injuries occur.”
“The aim was to get to the final and have a chance at Ellis Park,” Nkosi added.
“The game model won’t change, but the mindset will. Because it’s a life or death game. If you lose, you get a silver medal, if you win, you get a trophy. That’s what’s at stake. If we don’t adopt that mindset, we’re going to fall short.
“A lot of that group have played in knockout games. Nico Stein, Cairns, Renzo du Plessis, Morn Brandon, Kelly Empecu and about a dozen other players for the Lions have played in play-off games every year but have played at junior level. It’s a positive step to play at first-team level. The game doesn’t change, it’s just a little bit faster.”
Photo: @LionsRugbyCo/Twitter
