This aspect of training is imperative to the sport, and now even more so as no teams in the country have played for five months since just before the hard lockdown started in March.

Thursday is the day the Toyota Cheetahs are targeting to resume their contact training in order to start preparing for the return of domestic rugby.

The teams need at least five to six weeks of contact training before returning to the playing field.

The newly signed flanker, Andisa Nstila, suffered a setback on his arrival at his new team, the Cheetahs, after he became the first player at the team to return a positive result following a Covid-19 test. To date, he is still the only player to have been infected with the deadly virus.

Since then, he went into self-isolation and has recovered, and is now back in training with the Cheetahs.

While the waiting game continues, Ntsila told OFM Sport that the prospect of playing again excites him.

“I am looking forward to the decisions that are going to be made regarding us returning to playing and contact training.

“The sooner the better for us as a group.

“I really don’t have the words to describe how excited I am, and I am a bit nervous at the same time.

“I’ll just have to settle in and be comfortable, and just have to find a way to get my mojo back if I can put it that way.”

By Monday afternoon there was still no clarity on when the teams may resume contact training, however, they are hopeful it will be in this week.

@MorganPiek OFM Sport