New Stormers forwards coach Rito Hlungwani says they’ve used the Springbok forwards’ intellectual capital to make some gains up front during the pre-season.
Hlungwani, who came through the club system having coached at Primrose and Villager Rugby Clubs, yesterday explained how the “big league” is different, how he wants to create an interactive team environment when it comes to his coaching and how the World Cup-winning Boks have influenced their Super Rugby preparations.
“I’m from a small town just outside Polokwane.
"I came to Cape Town to study and I never left," Hlungwani said.
“Having played for Province, I always wanted to coach.
"I came through the club system, I started out at Villagers Rugby Club in the Super League A and from there I moved to Primrose.
“I then joined Western Province at Under-19 level and from there it slowly grew to the U21s and then SuperSport Challenge, and now I’m in the big league,” he said.
“It has been exciting, but it’s obviously a different environment. You need to prepare a bit more, you need to be sharp, you need to involve your players and you need them to contribute a bit more.
"So it’s challenging, but it’s exciting and I’m looking forward to what’s coming up.”
The former Western Province lock also went into how his time with Boland, as a player, influenced him.
“The year 2009 was my last year of professional rugby,” he explained.
“I captained Boland in the Vodacom Cup and the Currie Cup. It’s always tough at a small union where you’re not fully professional, but it’s a great experience where you learn to maximise your resources, even though it’s not much.
“You need to do more with less, so you sort of grow a thick skin from experiencing something like that.”
The Bok forwards certainly have a lot to contribute, and while he didn’t want to give too much away in terms of how they’re going to use the pack (and if they’ll be taking any cues from the Boks’ World Cup campaign), it’s something Hlungwani wants to put to the best-possible use.
“I like involving other people, I believe that two minds are better than one and as everyone knows we’ve got a very experienced pack so I can’t dictate, I need to create an environment where everyone can contribute and create some kind of a collective genius.
“If I can bring that I think I’ll be able to maximise everyone’s intelligence and experience.
“The Springbok players have been really good in terms of contributing their ideas and experiences and how they did certain things at the Boks, so I’ve been very happy with how they’ve carried themselves.
“We’ve used that intellectual capital to take a few steps forward during the pre-season.”
@WynonaLouw
Cape Times
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