Fred Zeilinga eager to cement Lions spot in URC campaign

Lions flyhalf Fred Zeilinga is in line for an extended starting stint in the United Rugby Championship, with first-choice player Jordan Hendrikse still out injured and loan signing Eddie Fouche having returned to the Pumas.

Zeilinga started in the Lions’ last match, a comprehensive 37-19 win over the Stormers, and was one of a number of players to impress, which will have gone a long way in giving the union’s coaching staff faith in backing him in the number 10 berth.

Zeilinga, however, knows he still has a lot of work to do and has to keep putting in the performances if he wants to keep his starting spot in the team.

“The last few years with Covid haven’t been easy. I have had to prove myself numerous times, and I think I still have to,” Zeilinga admitted.

“But I just take it week by week and game by game. I believe in myself and my ability, so I am fortunate to be where I am now and I am just hoping to enjoy the next couple of years and keep getting better and better.”

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Zeilinga has brought a different dimension to his game since his return from playing in Japan, and he will be looking to use that to his advantage in the URC.

“Everyone has this mindset that going to Japan is easy rugby and you’re going on a break there. That’s the sort of feedback I got when I got over there,” Zeilinga said.

“But then I think with the 2019 World Cup and how well Japan played, I think it opened up the world’s eyes to what is going on in Japan.

“They play a very attacking and high skill brand of rugby. For me personally it opened up my game for attacking kicks and identifying space – not the usual South African way of just kicking it long or kicking up and unders.”

It has been about a month-and-a-half since the Lions’ last URC match against the Stormers, and they now face a daunting task against the Springbok-laden Sharks at Ellis Park on Saturday.

The hosts will have to try and build on the momentum from that Stormers result, despite having had a long break between games, in an attempt to hit the ground running.

“Over the last two years, I think we have gotten used to these disruptions and we just take it week by week now,” said Zeilinga.

“So we just try to train and prepare as best we can as if we were playing every weekend, but I think the break was good for us to switch off mentally.

“These last three weeks of training have been really good. Everyone has come back fresh, and it’s a new year, so I think it’s going to be exciting this weekend.”