Lions scrumhalf Sanele Nohamba was able to breathe a sigh of relief on Saturday night, after his man-of-the-match performance helped his team clinch an impressive 28-27 win over Ospreys in Swansea, Wales.
Nohamba was in top form throughout the game and scored an opportunistic try, but had the Lions lost he could have been remembered for a bit of petulant play early in the second half.
At a lineout Nohamba slapped the ball out of a ball boy’s hands before Ospreys hooker Dewi Lake could take the ball, with the ref awarding a penalty, which the home side kicked to the corner and scored off the driving maul, which pushed them into a 24-18 lead.
However, the Lions were able to reel in that deficit in the final quarter and picked up a big win on the road in their first match of a three game tour.
“I was just trying to slow down the game,” explained Nohamba with a laugh, during a virtual press briefing on Monday afternoon.
“I am probably going to get some stick from the coaches during our review session later today. But that was it, there was nothing much to it.”
Lions defence coach Jacques Fourie, who had been nodding along when Nohamba spoke about getting some stick, then weighed in on the moment.
“It’s a tough one because it was a penalty that they kicked into the corner and then cost five points. So like Sanele said we’ve got a review later and we are probably going to smack him over the fingers a little bit later,” said Fourie with a smile.
Nohamba’s try, which had come just minutes before that indiscretion, saw him seize on a loose ball behind the Ospreys scrum and sprint away to score, which had brought the Lions to within one point at that stage.
“I think the credit goes to the forwards for that one. They are the ones who put a lot of pressure on the opposition pack and I was just lucky to pounce on the ball and get the try. So credit goes to the forwards and not me,” said Nohamba.
Nohamba also enjoyed a solid night with Lions flyhalf Gianni Lombard, who recently returned from a long term injury, with the two impressing after taking the place of Morne van den Berg and Jordan Hendrikse, who had started the Lions opening game against the Bulls.
“Everyone in the whole squad puts their hands up for selection. The coaches then back whoever they decide to back and sometimes try new combinations,” said Nohamba.
“I think it worked well with me and Gianni. It was our first time playing together and we just backed each other up and trusted each other’s calls and everything took off from there.”
