My Youtube videos won’t help with Test rugby, chuckles S’bu Nkosi
The precocious Sharks winger opens up on his journey to a Springbok Test debut and how he's become attached to the hip with Aphiwe Dyantyi.
S’bu Nkosi. Photo: Gallo Images.
About a year ago, S’bu Nkosi was asked after an excellent start to his Super Rugby career for the Sharks who his rugby idol is.
It turned out he had watched Youtube videos of former New Zealand rugby league Shaun Johnson to develop his sidestep and attacking skills.
Refreshing, to say the least.
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However, on Saturday, the 22-year-old winger will make his Test debut for England at Ellis Park and admits with a chuckle that those videos might not exactly coming in handy anymore.
“I don’t think those posts are going to prepare me for the magnitude of Test rugby,” he said, smiling.
“You’ll need a bit more attention to details. Ball-running and sidesteps aren’t going to be sufficient. At Test level, a winger needs to At Test level, a winger needs to manage the back field, the high balls have to be taken and the defence has to be marshalled. Youtube won’t cut that!”
Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus on Thursday suggested Nkosi was perhaps unlucky not to have made his international debut last year already but the level-headed rookie insists the timing is perfect.
“I’m a more experienced player than I was last year. Evidently, I’ve played more rugby but I’ve also learnt a lot of lessons along the way,” he said.
“For a young winger, the biggest challenge is to find yourself in the right place at the right time. I’ve worked a lot on my positioning. It’s easy to look for work but you have to know when to look. You might go out of position to look for work and then space opens up on your wing. It’s a balancing act.”
Combinations are vital at international level and Nkosi has made a point of getting to know his partner on the wing, fellow debutant and Lions star Aphiwe Dyantyi.
“I’ve basically spent all my time with him! It’s very important to understand your teammates,” said Nkosi.
“You have to analyse them. You have to understand how they play the game and how to support them on the field. But you also have to get to know your partner as a person, to understand how they think and react. I’ve loved every minute of it to date.”
