Sbu pushing for place in Sharks back three
IMPROVED competition for places in the Sharks backline means that a find of last season, Sbu Nkosi, is pushing hard for inclusion in the starting line-up for Saturday’s big Super Rugby match against the Lions in Johannesburg.
Last year Nkosi was dead on track for Springbok selection for the November tour to Europe only to suffer a serious elbow injury late in the Currie Cup.
He has not played since.
In the meantime, the Sharks have signed Makezole Mapimpi, a certain starter on one of the wings for the Sharks given his spectacular success last year, which amounted to an incredible 28 tries in a calendar year.
If one considers that the experienced Kobus van Wyk is likely to occupy the other wing position, where does that leave Nkosi?
We know that the Sharks are looking to play Lwazi Mvovo at fullback this season, the former Springbok wing now being seen as the Sharks’ rock at fullback, a position he has played for the SA Barbarians.
For Nkosi, it can only be about doing his best to push for inclusion in what could be an exciting back three.
“The competition for places is there, we all know it, the only thing I can do it is drive myself harder in training knowing that I have no guarantee for a place, and that pushing harder can only benefit the team,” said Nkosi.
Nkosi added that pre-season had been tough but that tests had shown it had been rewarding.
“If we can just implement what we have done in a new way of conditioning towards game situations, we should be OK,” he said.
“I am not relaxed, but I am confident that we have a plan in hand to move on from the Currie Cup of 2017,” he said. “The overall Currie Cup did a lot for our confidence,” he said. SPEEDSTER:
Sbusiso
Nkosi of the
Sharks says that the more competition there is in the team, the better the team becomes.