Ivan van Rooyen lauded Lions centurion Morné van den Berg after their 54-17 win over Edinburgh at Ellis Park.
The coach said the Springbok scrumhalf’s performance embodied what the Joburg-based club is building.
“He’s that Lions guy,” Van Rooyen said. “Krappie came through all the systems, didn’t have a contract, worked his socks off to get a contract, didn’t make the team initially, then went to the bench. Today he’s got Springbok caps.”
Van Rooyen emphasised that Van den Berg’s role goes beyond individual contribution.
“He’s a great team guy, with character, and willing to fight for every inch for the team,” he said. “He keeps everyone honest with his work rate and the small things.
“We just had a moment after the match where he said, ‘Thank you for giving me each and every one of those 100 caps,’” he said. “And then he said, ‘Hopefully there’s 100 more.’”
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The performance itself reinforced the Lions’ recent progress, but captain Francke Horn pointed to the efforts behind their attacking execution.
“We scored some unbelievable tries today. But that comes from hard work,” Horn said. “It’s not just scoring, it’s being there, playing off each other.
“We said we need to back up the performances because the race for the top eight is so tight we have to keep on building and building,” he added.
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Despite lifting the SA Shield, Van Rooyen made it clear the focus has already shifted forward f0r the Lions, who remain seventh on the log.
“We won’t get ahead of ourselves,” he said. “I can promise you Monday morning won’t really be about that. Every ounce of energy, every ounce of focus is going into the Dragons [on Saturday].”
Photo: Gallo Images
The post Cash: Krappie sets Lions standard appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
Ivan van Rooyen lauded Lions centurion Morné van den Berg after their 54-17 win over Edinburgh at Ellis Park.
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