Flanker JC Pretorius is set to earn his 50th cap on Saturday when the Lions take on Leinster in the URC quarter-finals.
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As a former Springbok Sevens standout, Lions fetcher JC Pretorius never thought he would reach 50 international caps for the Johannesburg franchise.
However, the 28-year-old is set to earn his half-century for the team in their historic first-ever United Rugby Championship (URC) quarter-final against defending champions Leinster in Dublin on Saturday evening (9pm kick-off).
It’s a momentous occasion, and achieving the milestone will make it extra special for Pretorius. But the cherry on top would be a victory, and the loose forward is eager to contribute to a winning effort against a wounded home side at the Aviva Stadium.
Pretorius only recently returned to the field following a lengthy injury lay-off, but has already produced the performances needed to reclaim the No 6 jersey. In his absence, rookie Siba Mahase burst onto the scene and played himself into a Springbok alignment camp. Jarod Cairns and Renzo du Plessis are the other fetchers competing for the openside position.
“Coming from the sevens, I never thought I would get to 50 caps for the Lions, but playing this weekend will be a real honour,” Pretorius said.
“With my second injury, it almost felt like a blessing because, during that time off, I learned a lot about myself, life, how I want to play the game, and how I want to get involved. At this stage, my body is firing on all cylinders. Whether I play one minute or 80 minutes, I want to give my all to the team.”
According to Pretorius, the Lions are ready to seize their opportunities on Saturday. They know it will take a huge effort to topple the defending champions, but they have now been in Dublin for the past couple of weeks.
They feel they are better prepared compared to the final league matches in Ireland against Leinster and Munster, where travel played a factor.
“If you look at our last two games, and coach Jules (Julian Redelinghuys) spoke about it, it was a weird feeling after the game because we knew we could’ve done better. Looking closely at those games, we missed opportunities to convert pressure into points. Leinster scored a couple of tries at the death, but throughout that game, it was quite close.
“But the good thing about being on tour for so long is that the guys get to know each other better and spend a lot of time together. That brings you closer. The guys have also looked after their bodies. Training has been going well and the guys are gelling.”