Johannesburg — A few matches ago Burger Odendaal lamented in jest that teammate Vincent Tshituka being awarded Man of the Match awards was getting predictable and just a little bit long in the tooth.
The injured Odendaal no doubt had another chuckle from the sideline to himself on Saturday when the elder of the Tshitukas once again received the award after another impervious performance in the Emirates Lions’ gritty 15-9 victory over Edinburgh.
The Lions have won six of their 14 matches in the United Rugby Championship so far this season, and more often than not, Tshituka has claimed the honour of the best player on the pitch. It was no different on Saturday against the Scottish outfit, Tshituka putting in another stellar performance that surely has the Springbok think-tank wondering if he has concluded his application to become a South African citizen.
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The DRC-born Tshituka is reportedly not yet eligible for Springbok selection, but he must surely be a consideration for Bok head coach Jacques Nienaber when he does receive his documentation — Lions head coach Ivan van Rooyen certainly has no doubts about it.
“He is definitely in good form,” said Van Rooyen after the victory.
“I think he’s work-rate off the ball and with the ball, whether it is in defence or attack, is special currently. He is definitely one of the guys that stops momentum and gives you momentum in the team.
Could there be any other @Vodacom #URC Man of the Match?#LIOvEDI pic.twitter.com/xYNKKZfXwr
“The way he plays and his character, it is difficult to miss him, it is difficult not to see him and it is difficult to not talk about him. I would think that in the Saru boardroom, his name will definitely be written somewhere on a piece of paper.
“He is a physical athlete and I think that sums him up nicely,” Van Rooyen continued. “His speed on the ability to beat players, the ability to stop players, getting one or two offloads in ...
“He is a great guy and he brings a lot of energy into the team. He is just a nice, chilled character. He is special to us and I think you can see from his performances that he is enjoying life.”
Always putting in a shift, week in and week out, for the Emirates @LionsRugbyCo 👊@Vodacom #URC #LIOvEDI #NorthvsSouth #SSRugby @URCOfficial_RSA pic.twitter.com/FPrgj8EhVF
— vodacomrugby (@VodacomRugga) April 2, 2022
It was a sentiment that stand-in captain Reinhard Nothnagel agreed fully with.
Said Nothnagel: “Vince, from a player’s perspective, he always has a joke — he is a funny guy.
“When he gets on the field, he does his job. That’s the thing as players that we respect the most. Even if we have a bad training week, when I stand next to him on the field, I know he is going to do his job — that’s what makes him a special player for our team.
Nothing as good a try initiated by the forward pack 😍#LIOvEDI | @Vodacom #URC pic.twitter.com/3T7vLaZY3n
— Lions (@LionsRugbyCo) April 2, 2022
“He just goes 150% every time and if he makes a mistake, he makes a mistake but he rectifies it probably within two phases after that, so he is very valuable to our team and he is a very, very good team guy.”
Rumours abound that the 23-year-old is highly sought after by the Sharks, and if that deal were to happen in the future, it would certainly be a blow to the Lions. Right now, however, the Joburgers are enjoying his effervescent spirit to that max after four wins on the trot — all of which Tshituka has been an architect of.
IOL Sport