Asenathi Ntlabakanye has revealed what he did on Daan Human’s Bloemfontein farm earlier this year.

The Lions tighthead prop spent several weeks training under the Springbok scrum coach’s watchful eye in the build-up to the mid-year Tests against Italy and Georgia, a period that culminated in a weight loss of 15-18kg and a Test debut in Gqeberha.

Speaking on the Behind the Ruck podcast, the 26-year-old explained that the opportunity came about after the Lions’ failed to reach the Vodacom URC playoffs.

“Coach Daan, the first time I went to his camp – not his camp, his farm – I think it was somewhere in May because we got knocked out early out of the URC,” Ntlabakanye said.

“I spent some time down in Bloem with him. I was kind of nervous going down there because I didn’t really know what to expect. Because the first time we got there, I was like, ‘OK, what time are we going to gym?’ and he was like, ‘Gym? Ons gaan plaas toe [we are going to the farm].’”

Ntlabakanye said the decision to stay active rather than take a break came from discussions with the Springbok management.

“It was like a message through Coach Ras [Rassie Erasmus] and Challa [team manager Charles Wessels], just to keep yourself active because the other guys were playing playoffs,” he explained.

“The Lions were the only union that were knocked out, and I didn’t really want to go on holiday for two or three weeks and then join up. I thought I might as well keep myself busy and try to better myself.”

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What followed was a demanding but rewarding routine built around whatever the farm environment offered.

“We created kind of our own space because we didn’t really want to be in public,” he said. “The routine would look like this: early morning, drive to the farm, then bike around just to keep yourself busy, do some ball work, core stuff, pull-ups – the holding ones are pretty tough.”

Human’s farm, he added, became a natural training ground.

“There’s a lot of carrying stuff. There’s a nice hill where he made me run up and down. It was pretty tough, but he made it very enjoyable.”

Beyond the physical work, Ntlabakanye spoke warmly of Human’s influence.

“He’s not a big believer in talking stuff. It’s all about action. You say you want to get better – how do you get better? It’s by working,” he said.

“He was very special for me and he still is. I’m still learning to this day. Let’s get the work done, then you reap the rewards.”

• This article first appeared on SA Rugby Magazine.