Steval Pumas inspired by Springbok visit

Aug 22 • General News • 1220 Views • Comments Off on Steval Pumas inspired by Springbok visit

For the Steval Pumas, the visit of the Springboks to Nelspruit went far beyond just the thrilling victory over Argentina at Mbombela Stadium.
The provincial side benefitted hugely from training with the Springboks, and also looked on with pride as former Steval Pumas players Faf de Klerk and Vincent Koch put in massive performances on the field where they spent much of their career.
Steval Pumas head coach MJ Mentz said that his side learnt valuable lessons from their training sessions with the Boks.
“It was a huge privilege to be able to train with them and get an insight into the way the Springboks do things. We were really impressed by their intensity and professionalism. All of them took some valuable lessons out of the training sessions and the things we learnt will stand us in good stead for our own preparations,” said Mentz.
Mentz added that he was proud to see De Klerk and Koch donning the green and gold. Spurred on by close to 30 000 spectators, De Klerk played his heart out for the man of the match award, whilst Koch proved to be a formidable force in the scrum after coming off the bench early in the first half.
“They spent much of their senior careers here with the Steval Pumas so it’s amazing to see them playing on this field for the Springboks. It also proved to all of our players that they have similar opportunities to take their careers to the highest level,” Mentz said.
Following the experience with the Springboks, the Steval Pumas will undoubtedly feel inspired to play some high-quality rugby for their six remaining matches in the Currie Cup Premier Division.
The men in pink will look to record their first victory of the campaign against Griquas at home this Friday.