Flyhalf raring to go after long break
AFTER a frustrating nine-month layoff, experienced flyhalf Lionel Cronje is itching to have another crack at playing Super Rugby.
A combination of factors kept Cronje, 27, on the sidelines last year, but the former Sharks pivot is ready to play a leading role this season.
“I did not play rugby the last nine months. It was a difficult transition for me getting married and my dad was very ill for three months last year – it was a very volatile time.
“It was also difficult to find a club for me with the late release from the Sharks at the end of 2015. So I took a bit of time away.
“I was fortunate that Kings head coach Deon Davids gave me another opportunity at Super Rugby.
“My family and I are from East London. It was fitting and comforting to be close to home, to represent the Kings and have another crack at Super Rugby.
“Deon was one of my coaches for the SA U20 team in 2009. I bumped into him at the airport a few times and we rekindled there.
“He gave me a call just before the pre-season and I was excited to be able to get the opportunity again.
“A rugby career is short, so it is never nice to be away from the game for so long.
“If you are away from the game it becomes harder to get back into the systems and to be able to play at that top level again
“But on the flip side, if you have been doing it for some time, it is good to have a break. It was a good chance to refocus and to come clean into the game again.
Apart from Cronje, the other flyhalfs on the Kings’ books are Pieter-Steyn de Wet, Garrick Mattheus and Masixole Banda.
“In past seasons we know that it was difficult for the Kings to put together a group. I can vouch for it that we have worked hard for the past three months. It has been really tough,” Cronje said.
“For it not to be different from last year would be a big surprise to me and this team.”
He said it was difficult at this stage to say where the team’s strength lay for the new campaign.
“I would not be able to say where our strengths will be because we have not played a game.
“I have not played with these guys and there are a lot of younger players coming through.
“But we are very fit, so I don’t think it will be a case of running out of steam.
“I think the team will be very competitive in Super Rugby. The two friendlies will give us a good feel of where our combinations are.”
First up for the Kings is a friendly against Border in East London on February 4, to be followed by a warm-up against the SWD Eagles in Port Elizabeth on February 11.