The Lions are hopeful that Asenathi Ntlabakanye will be cleared to play in this weekend’s United Rugby Championship (URC) clash against Connacht.
The prop remains under a doping cloud, and it is believed that the judgement regarding his hearing will be finalised this week. Ntlabakanye tested positive for Anastrozole, a banned substance that is not performance-enhancing.
As reported by Independent Media earlier this month, an outcome was expected from the South African Institute for Drug-Free Sport (SAIDS) by the end of April. SAIDS CEO Khalid Galant previously noted that closing arguments were scheduled for the final week of the month.
“We hope he can play,” forwards coach Julian Redelinghuys said reluctantly on Tuesday, after training, at Johannesburg Stadium.
“He is a machine in our team. He drives our standards and makes our set-piece strong. He is physical.
“We are not completely sure what the story is this week. He didn’t prepare with us on Tuesday, but we remain hopeful we can select him on Friday.”
Should the 27-year-old be unavailable, Redelinghuys assured that the Johannesburg-based side have enough depth in the No 3 jumper for Saturday’s match against the Irish franchise at Ellis Park (4pm kick-off).
“We have Beertjie [Conraad van Vuuren] coming back from a sore back,” Redelinghuys continued.
“Sebastian Lombard had measles but will be ready, and we have RF Schoeman and Heiko Pohlmann as well. We have had a couple of injuries at tighthead, but we still have good quality there. Whoever comes in will be able to do the job.”
Nonetheless, the loss of Ntlabakanye would be a serious blow to the teams, who are currently pushing for a top eight finish in the URC. Previous cases have seen athletes banned for up to four years, which would be devastating news for Ntlabakanye, his supporters, the Lions and the Boks.
