Coach Mziwakhe Nkosi praised fullback Latica Nela after a commanding 52-29 bonus-point win over the Pumas at Ellis Park on Saturday.
Nkosi was thrilled with the victory, particularly given his side had a shorter turnaround than the Pumas following their narrow opening-round Currie Cup defeat to the Cheetahs the previous Sunday.
“I’m happy with the five points, it keeps us in the race for the playoff,” he said. “It was a big challenge for these guys to come back and give a performance with only two training sessions.”
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The Lions coach was encouraged by the step up from the previous week, highlighting a sharper set-piece and greater patience with ball in hand.
“Last week was challenging, a contributing factor was probably a bit of cobwebs,” said Nkosi. “Today we saw a whole lot more cohesion and sticking to the things that we wanted to do.
“The more we play, the better the cohesion, the better the collisions, the better the set-piece will be. It’s just game time.”
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Nkosi hailed Nela, who scored a brace and has impressed in his first two senior appearances.
“He hasn’t looked out of place,” he said. “He had two really good seasons with us in the U21s and he’s played two Varsity Cup campaigns.
“It’s a deserved opportunity and long may his form continue.”
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The coach was honest about the areas still needing attention, pointing to lapses in concentration and inexperience in the final quarter as the main concerns heading into next week’s clash against the Bulls XV at Ellis Park.
“You still saw a little bit of youthful naivety out there, particularly from minute 69 to about 75,” he said. “In a tighter game, you lose two restarts, you concede 14 points, the score is different.”
Photo: Sydney Seshibedi/Gallo Images
The post Nkosi: Latica hasn’t looked out of place appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
Coach Mziwakhe Nkosi praised fullback Latica Nela after a commanding 52-29 bonus-point win over the Pumas at Ellis Park on Saturday.
The post Nkosi: Latica hasn’t looked out of place appeared first on SA Rugby magazine. Read More
