If Saturday’s last-gasp win over the Hollywoodbets Sharks taught the Lions one thing, it is that they need to back their marquee players.
Haashim Pead’s last gasp try, an individual moment that won the game for them and gave them some valuable points in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship, is a perfect example of where the Lions have been getting it wrong this season.
They do have Springbok Morne van den Bergh, their first choice halfback with good reason and in superb form, but in Pead they have the player who boosted the Junior Boks to their Junior World Championship win, a future Bok and a player who has already been invited to play with the Springboks.
Pead is a generational talent that, if nurtured and given the license to play his game, could be with the Boks before the next World Cup. The kid is special, and every single coach who has come close to him has said so.
LACK OF GAME TIME
But since the Junior World Cup, where the other franchises have played their Junior Boks and given them game time to develop, Pead has had a total of 20 minutes in play. While the Lions have yoyo’d up and down and been inconsistent, he has had to bide his time.
On Saturday he was given a maximum of 15 minutes and he took them with aplomb. His short dummy to score the winning try was the perfect ending to a Lions team that did what they always do - build up a good lead and let it squander away. Pead’s intervention at the end ensured they walked away from the Durban game with points where they looked as if they would lose, and it can only do the team the world of good.
The other reason why it is important to note that the Lions are finally giving him some much-needed game time is the arrival of Batho Hlekani, a fellow Junior Bok who was also part of the trio invited to train with the Boks.
Hlekani may take a bit longer to develop, but the Sharks gave him game time when he returned and he will grow into a mature player if handled correctly. Watching the way the Lions have shielded Pead from play has caused fears in many that Hlekani won’t get a look in, and the Lions will continue to repeat their mantra that has failed to get success in six seasons under Ivan van Rooyen.
DIFFICULT NOT TO SELECT HIM
But Pead’s winning try will up that ante now, and will make it more difficult not to select him.
And as the Lions head into a game against Lyon that will determine whether they still have an outside chance of staying in the EPCR Challenge Cup or if they will cap their poorest European season since entering the competition waits to be seen.
Pead can certainly make a difference to the Lions side and his sniping abilities, along with the speed of his game are assets to any team. The Lions will do well to give him some more game time shortly.
On Saturday after the game, Van Rooyen was asked about Pead’s lack of game time and seemed to infer he would be more in the match day 23 going forward.
“We’re super excited about him. Hash is a special player,” Van Rooyen said.
“We've been working hard with him. His speed is coming along and he has had some nice exposure, touring with us, seeing the picture. We're as excited about him as everyone is.
“I'm happy that he could make the difference today.”
DISCIPLINE AN ISSUE FOR LIONS
The Lions other bugbear is the discipline issue, although Ruan Venter’s head high shot on Aphelele Fassi, which was eventually upgraded to a red card, was in some aspects a rugby incident. Venter paid because he was too upright and his timing was wrong, and he is likely to pay in the disciplinary hearing because he has had previous red cards for similar incidents before.
That aspect - especially as Venter set up the opening two tries and was easily their player of the match up to that point - is a concerning thing for Van Rooyen and an aspect that will need to be addressed before Lyon come to town.
But with the French side having lost both of their opening games, and are unlikely to send anything beyond a second string side to the match, it could be an opportunity for Van Rooyen to get his side back on track and get a second win in a row.
And if Pead gets given a chance to shine, he may just take it.