Kitshoff hails efforts of Nyakane

Steven Kitshoff has hailed the efforts of teammate Trevor Nyakane after the Springboks 27-9 victory over the British & Irish Lions on Saturday evening. 

The Boks managed to level the series with an ugly but solid victory at the Cape Town stadium with the bench playing a prominent role. 

Tighthead prop Nyakane was particularly impressive with a vigorous shift. 

“I think Trevor did an unbelievable job at loosehead in the last 20 minutes,” Kitshoff said. “He really worked hard during the week, working on his set-up. 

“It’s a total conversion from tighthead to loosehead in seven days. I think he did exceptionally well and put the Lions scrum under a lot of pressure. He had to learn a bunch of calls from the lineout and I think he did a great job. I am proud of him. 

“He has always been an unbelievable rugby player in my eyes. He rocks up, brings a lot of physicality. He is very clever when it comes to decision-making. We can be proud of his performance tonight.” 

“It was a lot of hard work during the week, especially after last week’s disappointment. We had to take a hard look in the mirror to identify what we did wrong. We actually did very well this week. I think this week’s training was one of the better buildups I have experienced in a Bok jersey. 

“It was a total team performance. I think everyone, all the way from No 1 to 23, rocked up and gave it their all. We realised how important this was for us a team, for our country, for our family and our friends.”