Mziwakhe Nkosi wary of tenacious Leopards in Potchefstroom

The two sides will meet at Olen Park in Potchefstroom on Saturday 26 September, with the Lions in high spirits following their 42-22 victory over defending champions Sharks gen U20 last Thursday at Ellis Park Stadium, while the Leopards are winless in their last two matches.

Speaking exclusively to SABC Sport, Nkosi says it is going to require a big effort from his side to get the desired result in Potchefstroom. 

“All is well for our trip to Potch. It’s a long weekend and at least it’s a nine day turn around. Leopards won’t be easy in Potch, they are a tenacious team. We expect them to be in for a full 80, we expect a tough encounter, physical encounter and they’ll be incredibly difficult to turn over in Potch. So it’s going to require a whole lot of us to get the desired result,” Nkosi said.

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The Lions, who were the champions of this tournament in 2021, currently lie second in the log standings with 24 points, behind Blue Bulls U20. They lead the Leopards, who are fifth on the standings, by 17 points, but the Lions mentor insists the gap on the log will count for little come this weekend. 

He has warned however, that his side will show up for the game with a good mindset.

“In terms of the big gap between us and them from an overall points point of view, rugby matters in between the four wide lines, so the log, the points difference and the points aren’t going to matter come 1 o’clock next week Saturday,” the coach added.

“We are going to ensure that we pitch up for the game and arrive with a really good mindset and that’s probably the most important thing about going to Potchefstroom. It’s the mindset that you arrive in."