Ntlabakanye urges Lions and SA franchises to use URC to conquer EPCR championship openers

Springbok prop Asenathi Ntlabakanye says it is crucial that the Lions back up their recent United Rugby Championship victories over Ulster and the Bulls, with a defeat of Benetton this weekend in the opening round of the EPCR Challenge Cup. Kick-off is at 3pm on Saturday.

The big prop, who has a hearing in a week or so for a complicated positive test for a performance-enhancing medication he took for weight-loss, says last week’s big win at Loftus Versfeld confirmed that the Joburg team have turned a corner.

“It was good to see the hard work pay off. To win at Loftus for the first time since 2023 was massive,” he said. “But we can’t be a one-performance team. We have to prove we can go back-to-back.”

Ntlabakanye was called up to the recent Springbok tour as cover for injured Ox Nche, and he says he has brought back important knowledge to the Lions.

“Every time I come back from the Boks, I bring back things I have learned. We have to aspire to those (Springbok) standards.”

With away Challenge Cup fixtures coming up against Newcastle and Perpignan, Ntlabakanye said the Lions needed to stay mentally sharp.

“This is the part of the season where in the past we haven’t always been good,” he said. “We’re treating it differently this year. Now we must show it on the weekend. Every game is huge; this isn’t a marathon. It’s a sprint.”

Meanwhile, the Sharks have the toughest assignment of the South African teams in a trip to multiple Champions Cup winners Toulouse, who last week were boosted by the return of talisman scrumhalf Antoine Dupont. Kick-off is on Sunday at 5.15pm.

And it gets harder for the Durbanites because Toulouse this week are bringing back more French internationals.

English flanker Jack Willis has recovered from the rib injury that kept him out of last weekend’s Top 14 victory over Racing 92.

Toulouse also welcome back a host of internationals from the recently ended Autumn Series in fullback Thomas Ramos, hooker Julien Marchand, prop Dorian Aldegheri and flank Anthony Jelonch, while flank Alexandre Roumat is back from a neck injury.

Toulouse’s bitter rivals, Bordeaux, travel to a Bulls team chastened by their surprise loss to the Lions last week. Coach Johan Ackermann needs a reaction from his players. The Bulls will also remember how it went pear-shaped for them last year when they started the Champions Cup badly and never recovered.

For the Bulls, it is admittedly a tough opener on Saturday (5.15pm) against the new champions Bordeaux, but they have to try to win it because next week they are on the road to the strong English side Northampton Saints, who are third on the Premiership log.

The Cheetahs begin their Challenge Cup with a tough away match against another powerful Premiership team, the Exeter Chiefs, who are second on the log. Kick-off is at 7.30pm on Sunday.

Meanwhile, the Stormers will be in France to a powerful Bayonne outfit on Friday (kick-off 10pm) in the Champions Cup.