No quarter given for Lions’ Sanele Nohamba and Co in Munster halfback battle
If, by chance, you feel the ground shaking in Johannesburg anywhere between 5pm and 7pm tomorrow, be assured that it is not an earthquake, but rather the aftershock from the massive battles unfolding between the Lions and Munster at Ellis Park.
If the visitors are to select their strongest team, which the Lions undoubtedly will do, there will be a Herculean tussle for supremacy between the two sides in a season-defining clash (5pm kick-off).
For the Lions, victory will make their path to the quarter-final that much easier, while for the Irish franchise, home-ground advantage in the play-offs will be within grasping distance.
One of the key battles that could unfold tomorrow in the United Rugby Championship encounter is between the halfbacks.
The Lions will most certainly continue the partnership between Morné van den Berg and Sanele Nohamba at scrumhalf and flyhalf.
A shoulder injury to fullback Quan Horn could also possibly see Jordan Hendrikse slot in at No 15, adding to what is expected to be an intriguing battle against the Munster pairing of Conor Murray and Jack Crowley.
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— Lions (@LionsRugbyCo) April 25, 2024
Earlier this week, Van den Berg described the Munster duo as “world-class halfbacks”, and the 26-year-old’s battle with Irish veteran Murray – who has played 125 Tests – will be a great indication of how much “Krappie” has developed this season.
“He has been one of the best scrumhalves for a while now,” Van den Berg admitted.
“I’ve been learning and taking what I can from him. It’s a challenge that I really look forward to. It is going to be good.”
The Lions go into the clash against the defending champions buoyed by an excellent victory over Leinster last weekend. That 44-12 triumph was built on a fast start, resolute defending and a convincing conclusion.
In-between, the Lions lost a bit of traction, allowing the Irish giants to besiege their half with wave after wave of attack.
The Joburgers can ill-afford such a repeat, and to ensure that it doesn’t happen again, the Lions have been focusing on rectifying some key areas.
“We struggled with our set piece,” Nohamba revealed, “especially our line-outs.
“That’s where Leinster put the pressure on us and took the ball away. That is where there was a momentum swing. If we can sort that out, we will be able to negate that dip.”
The introduction of Hendrikse at fullback could also possibly help the Lions escape from such precarious positions.
The 22-year-old has a hefty boot on him – arguably Nohamba’s most noteworthy limitation at No 10 on the highveld.
During training this week, Hendrikse was comfortably drilling clearing kicks 80m up-field, and slotting him into first receiver in territorial plays might be an important strategy for the home side to keep Munster contained in their own half.
Both Nohamba and Van den Berg are also expecting a different approach from Munster than their northern neighbours.
“They are more physical,” said Nohamba.
“They will cause more problems at the breakdown. They are still an Irish side, but it will be a completely different challenge for us. We have put plans in place to try and negate that.”
Van den Berg could only agree, saying: “We are expecting Munster to be a bit more physical. They are Irish, but they do play a bit differently…
“It will be a process of us forcing ourselves onto them. We will take our lessons form Leinster, but it is a whole new week (and new challenge),” the No 9 concluded.