Lions coach Ivan van Rooyen and captain Francke Horn praised Batho Hlekani for slotting in seamlessly during Saturday’s win against Lyon at Ellis Park.
Van Rooyen’s hand was forced before kick-off of the EPCR Challenge Cup match when flanker Siba Qoma pulled up injured in the warm-up. Hlekani was promoted from the bench to the starting side having only recently arrived from the Sharks.
The 20-year-old responded with a try on debut and a performance that earned the Man of the Match award.
“Everyone knows how well he carries,” Van Rooyen said. “The short period of time we have had to work with him I’ve really enjoyed. He is quiet, calm, wants to work hard and wants to make a difference. It’s great that he’s a Lion.”
REPORT: Brilliant Batho helps Lions outlast Lyon
Captain Francke Horn played a key role in settling the young flanker, taking responsibility for guiding him through the early exchanges.
“My job as a captain is to keep him calm and give him confidence,” Horn said. “He might have been a bit nervous and a bit scared of not knowing all the details. My job is to tell him, listen, take the ball, carry and go for it, and I think he did it extremely well.”
“It just shows you the quality of training we’re doing at the moment against each other. If one guy goes out, another guy can just fit in and do the job just as good.”
As Lyon mounted a late comeback to close within two points, Hlekani’s composure reflected a wider calm within the group. The Lions resisted the urge to chase the game, instead trusting their processes in the final minutes.
“For a captain, it’s very easy when the players are around you, with their heads up, looking each other in the eyes, you tell them the plan and then they execute it,” Horn said.
Van Rooyen saw that composure as part of a broader shift within his squad.
“It’s people who give solutions, people who work hard,” he said. “Francke stays on the field and comes up with solutions. That’s where we have grown up.”
The five points keep the Lions alive in the competition, but Van Rooyen was clear that consistency is now key.
“One or two wins in a row can give you momentum,” he said. “Then it’s our responsibility to keep the momentum. We have Perpignan away next [in the Challenge Cup] and then we go to the Ospreys in the URC.”
“It’s not going to be easier in the next three weeks. But we are very happy with the result today.”
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