Lions prop Asenathi Ntlabakanye scored a superb try against the Cheetahs last week. Photo: BackpagePix
Asenathi Ntlabakanye is a larger-than-life figure.
And no, that is not a reference to his tighthead prop frame – he is listed as weighing about 153kg – but rather his impact on the field and off it.
The Lions No.3 is a friendly face, and it shows in his play as well, as he is so much more than just a powerhouse in the scrums.
Ntlabakanye is arguably the most mobile tighthead prop in South African rugby, and has been knocking on the Springbok door for a good few seasons.
The 25-year-old is a stalwart for the Lions, and may be in line for the Bok end-of-year tour to Europe if a few incumbents are rested.
There is no doubt that if he continues scoring tries like he did in last week’s clash against the Free State Cheetahs, it will be hard for Bok coach Rassie Erasmus to ignore him for much longer.
Ntlabakanye ran onto a well-timed pop pass from No.8 Jarod Cairns and side-stepped the first defender before a classy dummy bought him more time, and then he pounded his way over the tryline.
It was a special piece of play that sets him apart from many front-rowers, and one that he hopes to repeat in Saturday’s Currie Cup final against the Sharks at Ellis Park (4pm start).
He will have some competition in that regard, though, as hooker Morné Brandon also did some acrobatics to dot down in the second half, while Sharks veteran Trevor Nyakane scored a crucial late try with a dummy himself against the Bulls last week.
“I was just saying the whole week that I couldn’t believe my eyes. I hope this happens again this weekend, and it’s one of those ones that I didn’t expect myself,” Ntlabakanye said after training on Thursday.
“When the gap opened up, I was just telling myself that no one was going to stop me from 20 metres out.
“So, I kind of backed myself. I have pace ... I know that people think I don’t have pace, but I can move, so I backed myself with that. It was very enjoyable, and I am still bragging about it today.
“It seems like last week was the front-row club! Morné Brandon scored a try here, Trevor did his thing in Pretoria and it’s a good match-up this weekend, and I am looking forward to it.”
But he knows that he needs to do his primary job well first if the Lions are to hold off a powerful Sharks scrum boasting the likes of Ntuthuko Mchunu and Hanro Jacobs in the front row, and the experience of Nyakane, Dylan Richardson, Jason Jenkins and Gerbrandt Grobler off the bench.
“It’s (scrum battle) massive. We looked at our performance last week, not quite good enough. When it comes to play-offs, set-piece is a big part of the game,” Ntlabakanye said.
“So for us, it’s about fixing that up. It’s a final after all, and if you are not up for it, then I don’t know! They beat us in the league games as well, so we weren’t at our best then. Credit to them, they were very good on that day.
“This week, I have prepared myself for exactly what we need to do.
“Our set-piece wasn’t quite good enough, and our exits as well. If you look at last week’s game, we score and then give an easy try away. So, those are the kinds of things we want to fix up this week, and we are looking forward to [tomorrow].
“Some guys have played in Currie Cup finals, and some guys have won it – someone like Taps (Tapiwa Mafura), who is a serial winner and comes from the Cheetahs, who won it last year.
“But there is a bit of excitement among the youngsters as well, going into their first final. It’s a first final for myself as well, and it’s something I want to embrace as well.
“(A home crowd) gives us a slight edge, but it’s a game of rugby after all – the bounce of the ball can go both sides.
“It’s something we pride ourselves in. Hopefully there are a couple of Joburg people in the stands cheering for us.”