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JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA – JUNE 09: Aphiwe Dyantyi of South Africa congratulated by S’busiso Nkosi of South Africa during the 2018 Castle Lager Incoming Series match between South Africa and England at Emirates Airline Park on June 09, 2018 in Johannesburg, South Africa. (Photo by Sydney Seshibedi/Gallo Images)
If the Cell C Sharks were looking for the services of a big match publicist to build up their derby clash with the Emirates Lions in Durban on Saturday they found the perfect man in the form of Springbok wing S’busiso Nkosi.
The strongly built youngster was reduced by his heavy workload in the last month to a spectator role when the Sharks worked out in unseasonal humidity on a Jonssons King’s Park outer-field on Wednesday afternoon but he was so embroiled in the action on it, and paying so much attention to what his teammates were doing, that he hardly found time for the scheduled media interview.
When he did eventually speak to us, he did not hide his enthusiasm, or how strongly the Sharks desire a win over their old enemy from up the N3 highway on Saturday. Asked what it would be like, and what he would feel, to be playing against an opposite number in Aphiwe Dyantyi who has been like family to him in the Bok squad over the past month, Nkosi had no time for the touchy feely approach in his answer and pulled no punches.
“I feel nothing,” he almost growled. “This is business and it is a matter of my franchise against yours. You put friendship aside on those occasions and it is a case of game on, especially if you are passionate about your union. Maybe we will have a few smiles and jokes afterwards but we leave friendship for later on.”
Nkosi has never been in a winning Sharks side against the Lions at Super Rugby level, with the Johannesburg franchise having dominated the local conference since 2015. It will be the same with most of his teammates, and yet through the period of Lions dominance the Sharks have come close enough on several occasions for it to start hurting.
Again, Nkosi made no attempt to tone that hunger for success against the Lions down when the question was asked.
“We haven’t discussed the Lions record this week but I think deep inside we all know that we have owed the Lions one for a while now,” said Nkosi.
“There has always been a lot of intense competitiveness between these teams, and as you say, we do know some of them quite well now having played with them, so that should add to the motivation to play well against them. You feel you have a point to prove.
“The Sharks/Lions derby has always been a big one in South African rugby and I don’t think it will simmer down any time soon.”
If there was any thought of relaxing his attitude after excelling for the Boks under Rassie Erasmus’ coaching, Nkosi says the log situation, which effectively sees the Sharks playing for their Super Rugby lifeline on Saturday, takes care of that.
“If we did need extra motivation our situation would provide it. We are in a place where it is still in our hands. We are out of the quarterfinal mix right now, but we can change that and it is in our hands to do so,” he said.
Nkosi said it all happened so fast for him to take stock while it was happening, but his month with the Boks, which was highlighted by his impressive two try debut against England at Emirates Airlines Park early in the month, was as awesome as anything he has ever experienced.
“Looking back now it was very memorable. A the time there was no time to reflect back, you just wanted to do the job and perform to the highest possible standards. Unfortunately even now there is no time to really reflect back as we are straight back to the business of Super Rugby and what we need to do for our franchises.
“But I feel I have grown a lot and learnt a lot of things. I experienced different coaching, I have grown skills-wise as there was a lot of focus on that, and also on conditioning. There was a lot of high intensity training. So my conditioning has definitely improved.
“I was around strong men and strong leaders so there has also been personal growth. It was good learning how to behave and how to conduct myself off the field.”
Nkosi doesn’t lack confidence, as exhibited by the certainty he has that his international career will be a long one.
“I am hard on myself, so I saw a lot of things in my debut that I thought I should have done better. But then I don’t want to put too much emphasis on my debut because I want my 100th game to be even better,” said the Springbok.
“I have had a taste of it, now I want more of it, I can’t get enough of it. Having the quality of players around me was an awesome experience and I want that taste more often.”
First though comes the Lions this weekend, and Nkosi left little doubt about which animal’s meat he and his teammates want to feast on. He never said so himself, but his likely personal duel with Bok teammate Dyantyi should be worth the price of the admission ticket on its own.