Lions Hero of the Week: Emmanuel Tshituka

For a long time in Treviso, the Lions couldn’t find their rhythm. They were behind and looking lost against Benetton in a crucial game for their Vodacom United Rugby Championship hopes.

In fact, as Benetton scored to make it 28-13, the game looked dead and buried. Suddenly, they found their spark and broke out of their half to score an exceptional try.

The try, started by Edwill van der Merwe, would see Emmanuel Tshituka get the telling pass and surge over the tryline with the speed of a winger, playing the perfect supporting role.

Emmanuel Tshituka dots down twice as the Emirates Lions secure a 32-28 victory over Benetton ??

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— SuperSport ?? (@SuperSportTV) March 25, 2023

Tshituka would score again as the Lions scored three tries in eight minutes to upend the contest and steal a win few would have given them a chance to do on the hour mark.

But for a while now, the younger brother of Sharks flanker Vincent has been making inroads with his robust play and speed, a combination that when it comes together, is virtually unstoppable.

Tshituka, like his teammates, may not - outside those eight minutes - have had the flashiest of games, but few often see the hard work, the cleans and tackles that he makes and the physicality he brings to the contest.

When he was rewarded with the two tries, it was only fair for the contribution he made to the Lions on the day and made him an easy choice for Hero of the Week.