Lions hope Ntlabakanye’s considerable shove can get them over Currie Cup line

The Lions will be hoping the emotion surrounding the return of popular new Springbok prop Asenathi Ntlabakanye will get them over the line this year in the Currie Cup final at Ellis Park on Saturday. 

Griquas are the opponents, and they are the sort of team that thrives on physicality in the tight five and making the set pieces a real dog fight. Which makes the return to action of Ntlabakanye, both the physical and metaphorical cornerstone of the Lions pack, the sort of boost a team needs before a final. 

Last year, the Lions looked set to win the Currie Cup for the first time since 2015 as they led the Sharks 14-13 on a freezing day in Johannesburg. But with the final hooter having gone, they opted for a rolling maul instead of kicking the ball out, conceded a penalty and watched in horror as their former flyhalf, Jordan Hendrikse, kicked a long-range penalty to snatch the famous trophy. 

Ntlabakanye has not played since turning out for the Springboks against Australia at Ellis Park on August 16. It was subsequently announced the gigantic 26-year-old had failed a doping test.

Though he was withdrawn from the tour of New Zealand to deal with the matter, SA Rugby has publicly supported him by saying he was prescribed the substance by a doctor specifically appointed to look after professional rugby players. 

Lions coach Mziwakhe Nkosi pointed out on Thursday that because Ntlabakanye has not yet been suspended, has been released from the Springboks and is a contracted player for the Lions, they are free to use him. 

“Asenathi will start on Saturday. He has been formally charged but he has not yet been suspended. His hearing is only in December and, in the interim, he is a Lions contracted player and he must play until his hearing,” Nkosi said. 

“He has just taken a couple of weeks off to put together his case. But he is our vice-captain for the weekend and there is a lot of backing for him, we are all really behind him. It is right for him to play now with the United Rugby Championship in mind.”

With the URC now just a short time from resuming, hooker Franco Marais expressed the team's excitement about competing for a trophy as a build-up to the European competition. 

“It's helluva exciting for us and winning will give us a lot of confidence before we start the URC on tour with three away games. It will be great to be able to get some momentum and we could have great camaraderie if we have just won a cup together. 

“It's also a big lift for us to have Asenathi playing. He is under some uncertainty at the moment, but hopefully he can just go out and express himself.

“Griquas are really solid up front, they throw a lot of weight at you on the bind. They get a lot of reward from their scrums and line-outs and I think it's going to be a challenge for us up front.”