Lombard on fire for Lions, but still role for Hendrikse — management

Exciting Lions flyhalf Jordan Hendrikse still has an important role to play for the team this season despite seemingly being overtaken in the pecking order by Gianni Lombard.

Hendrikse has been the Lions first choice flyhalf over the past couple of seasons, but after starting the opening match of this season’s United Rugby Championship (URC) against the Bulls, has found himself on the bench for the last two games against Ospreys and Cardiff.

This after the 24-year-old Lombard made a superb return to the Lions after suffering two very serious knee injuries that ruled him out of playing for the union for a couple of years.

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However, after playing a few games in Japan earlier this year, he re-joined the Lions and has looked superb in guiding the side during their two wins in Wales.

At 21 years old Hendrikse still has plenty of playing time ahead of him, and with it a long season where the Lions will be playing in the European Challenge Cup and Currie Cup, he will get plenty of chances to retake the number 10 jersey from Lombard.

“Jordan still has a role to play for us. We just feel at the moment with the selection of Gianni at 10 it gives us a lot of momentum and a lot of experience around how we want to play the game,” explained Lions assistant coach Ricardo Loubscher.

“He (Lombard) is driving the team on both attack and defence, so we are really happy with the momentum he is bringing at the moment.”

Battle for scrumhalf

Along with Lombard taking the number 10 jersey, new scrumhalf Sanele Nohamba seems to have moved ahead of Morne van den Berg in the battle for the scrumhalf berth, and he has also impressed in his two starts in the last two games.

Just over a year ago Nohamba was flying high at the Sharks and had been brought into the Springbok squad for the British and Irish Lions series, before he seemed to fall down the pecking order at the Sharks leading to his move to the Lions.

“I think the big thing with Sanele is to just get him some game time. I had a chat with him this morning and he is really in a good space. He understands the game in terms of management and the way our nines and tens are going at the moment we are very happy with them,” said Loubscher.

“In terms of Springbok selection I don’t think that will be his focus at the moment. The big thing for him at the moment is to focus on playing well and keep putting in good performances week in and week out.”