Nkosi encouraged by Lions’ fightback despite Currie Cup defeat

The visitors produced a determined second-half display after trailing 16-13 at the break and pushed the home side all the way before falling just short. Nkosi says discipline ultimately proved costly, but he was pleased with the character his young team showed under pressure.

"When we had the ball we were good, and I thought our defence showed great improvement in the second half. Our ill discipline probably was our undoing in the end, and then there was also the inability to finish off one or two chances."

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The momentum swung repeatedly during an entertaining second half. Flyhalf Sam Francis edged the Lions into a 27-26 lead with a late penalty, only for the experienced Jaco van der Walt to grab his third penalty with five minutes remaining, sealing a 29-27 victory for the hosts. Nkosi says his side’s inability to stay on the right side of the referee proved decisive.

The Lions fielded a youthful squad featuring 13 debutants, including 11 players stepping up from the Under-21 ranks. Despite their lack of senior Currie Cup experience, the youngsters matched the Cheetahs physically and showed composure in key moments. Nkosi believes the performance highlighted the depth of talent coming through the Johannesburg-based union and provides a solid platform to build on during the campaign.

"I think Victor Sekekete for example has more caps than our whole team combined so there are plenty of positives we can take from this game."

Nkosi also welcomed the imminent return of eight Junior Springboks following South Africa’s successful World Rugby Under-20 Championship campaign. He believes adding those players to an already promising group will strengthen the squad significantly over the coming weeks and leave the Lions well placed to challenge as the Currie Cup season progresses.