Young Lions roar loudest in the URC
They left for Wales and Scotland as cubs but will return to Johannesburg this weekend very much Lions.
The Emirates Lions produced a stirring final quarter in Scotland to beat hosts Edinburgh, and they did it with so many of their youngsters making the loudest roar.
It made for blissful viewing as these young ones continued to defy pre-match predictions that had them coming second.
I had them coming second in every one of their three United Rugby Championship matches on tour, but each time the Lions found something special in the second half for a South African record of three wins on the road from three starts. Edinburgh are a quality team and they had lost just one of their previous nine matches at home. They had a chance to win their season opener against the Bulls at Loftus but missed a late penalty and a week later they were outstanding in the first 40 against defending champions, the Stormers, in Cape Town.
The bookies favoured a comfortable home win against the Lions and I agreed with those bookies. Some would say shame on us, but given the two line-ups, I’d have made the same call if asked today.
Edinburgh is a team loaded with Scottish internationals and they also have a power pack, anchored by SA-born grizzlies WP Nel and Pierre Schoeman. The latter duo played off the bench against the Lions, which was a mistake. They should have been the starting props against a Lions pack that refused to be intimidated or give an inch.
The Lions were desperate in their scramble defence and brutal with their oneon-one tackling. The 19-year-old Ruan Venter smashed Edinburgh’s Scottish and
It made for blissful viewing as young ones continued to defy predictions
British & Irish Lions flanker Hamish Watson in the tackle and then put Watson on his backside with a punishing run.
Venter, formerly of Paarl Boys High in the Western Cape, played like a rugged international veteran and Watson was made to look like a kid playing against men.
Venter is 6ft 6. It was fun to watch.
Lions outside-centre Henco van Wyk, 21, has emerged from the three-match tour as the early talk of the league. He was electric on attack against Edinburgh, with his 40m burst to score a defining moment in the second half.
Van Wyk and former Sharks centre Marius Louw have combined formidably on tour and if they remain injury-free, they will be critical to continued Lions success.
The former Paarl Boys High schoolboy machine Francke Horn is starting to influence matches as he did in his school days. Horne, starting at No 8, was named player of the match.
Scrumhalf Sanele Nohamba was another of those schoolboy sensations whose move from the Sharks to the Lions has provided a reminder of his wonderful talent.
Nohamba, schooled at Durban High, starred for SA Schools in 2017 and SA under20s at the 2019 World Rugby U20 Championships. He showed his versatility in scoring two tries and kicking seven conversions and three penalties.
Nohamba, on tour, started ahead of
Morne van den Berg and justified the selection each time. Equally, flyhalf Gianni Lombard, who got the tour starting No 10 jersey ahead of Jordan Hendrikse. The depth at halfback has grown in less than a month.
The Lions, before the start of the 2022/23 season, were considered the weakest of the South African league quartet, but their evolution in Wales and Scotland would have many reconsidering this view, especially with fearless youngsters Van Wyk and Venter tearing it up.
Van Wyk, in his final year at Monument High, was headlined in several reports as the “18-year-old South African wonder-kid dominating schoolboy rugby”.
Fast forward three years and now the reports are of a 21-year-old “wonder-kid”
dominating the URC.