Sibabalwe Mahashe has been a revelation for the Lions this season. As the Glasgow Warriors head to Ellis Park, the young loose-forward is ready to bring the energy. Photo: Backpagepix
Image: Backpagepix
In short order, Sibabalwe Mahashe has endeared himself to the Lions faithful at Ellis Park. The upthrust in his professional career, only six games old, does not come as a surprise.
Since making his debut for the Lions against Lyon in the EPCR Challenge Cup in mid-January, Mahashe has impressed with his fleet-footed loose-forward play. Perhaps it is because the former Junior Springbok exhibits a bit of Lions legend Jaco Kriel’s X-factor.
He has made some powerful runs from the fringes and broken play, scoring three tries in the process. Meanwhile, out wide he has added a degree of physicality, linking nicely with the backline when on attack.
With the pace of Glasgow Warriors’ approach to be tested on Saturday at Ellis Park in a massively important United Rugby Championship (URC) matchday 15 encounter (kick-off 4pm), Mahashe’s ability to find space, cross the gainline and make a clutch offload could once again be on display.
“Those opportunities do come at games,” Mahashe said earlier this week of his uncanny ability to find himself in the right position at the right time, after training at Johannesburg Stadium. “But they first start at training.
“I have been placed at the edge because it’s a place that I love playing at. So when those options come, I am able to connect with the rest of my teammates because we are used to playing together at training.”
In the four URC matches he has played, he has also provided two try assists, made five clean breaks, beaten three defenders, and made 20 carries and 96m. He has won three turnovers and is yet to concede any penalty.
Along with loose-forwards that include captain Francke Horn, Springbok Ruan Venter, former Blitzboks star JC Pretorius, Baby Bok Batho Hlekani, Renzo du Plessis, Jarod Cairns and Sibabalo Qoma, the 23-year-old has only added depth and ability to an already formidable unit.
Nonetheless, the step up into the professional ranks has had its challenges. It certainly helps that there is clear direction from the technical team.
“I won’t say the physicality has been too high,” Mahashe explained. “The difference is just that the pace is faster. If you sleep on the details, you’ll be exposed.
“Coach (Ivan van Rooyen) did say when I arrived in this team that my job is to add energy,” he added. “As we go into matches, the energy and extra work helps. When the team sees me going forward, that helps because they want to move with me.”
Despite having cut his teeth against the Stormers and Sharks, while also having a taste against Lyon, Perpignan, Edinburgh and the Dragons — if selected in the matchday 23 on Friday — Glasgow will arguably represent the Lions’, and by extension Mahashe’s, biggest challenge.
The table-topping, former URC champions are expected to field a powerful team and come to South Africa as the best attacking team in the tournament. They are keen to secure their No. 1 standing so as to ensure a clean-cut run to the final as favourites.
Mahashe sees a lot of similitude between the Lions and this weekend's visitors, saying: “Glasgow play very similar rugby to us. They want to get quick ball and the only way to stop that is to make positive tackles and slow down their possession.
“In every game we go into, we want to dominate our collisions. We want to slow down the breakdown … If we can force turnovers, we have shown we can be dangerous on the counter-attack.”
It could be then, that The Pride gets to see some of that developing Mahashe magic.