Bongi Mbonambi braces for physical SA derby as Sharks plot to stop Stormers' 'big weapon'

Springbok hooker Bongi Mbonambi believes the battle for forward supremacy will define Saturday’s United Rugby Championship (URC) clash against the Stormers, as two of South Africa’s heavyweight packs prepare to go head-to-head.

Mbonambi, no stranger to the intensity of local rivalries, is under no illusions about the challenge awaiting the Sharks, who haven't won an away match in Cape Town in the URC in five attempts.

“It’s a traditional South African derby,” Mbonambi said, on Tuesday. “Everyone knows it’s going to be physical — two quality sides going at each other for the full 80 minutes.”

The Stormers have enjoyed a strong season across both the URC and the Champions Cup, a run Mbonambi attributes to their tactical structure and squad depth.

“The Stormers are performing well this season in both competitions. They’ve got depth, they’re well-coached, and they’ve got a good squad,” he noted.

A central theme of the contest will be the maul. While the Cape side's attack had blown hot and cold, they have used the driving maul as a primary weapon with great success.

Mbonambi insists the Sharks are well-prepared to fight fire with fire, and mentioned that their own driving maul is not to be scoffed at.

“The whole of South Africa knows how good the Stormers are at mauling. It's not just this season; they’ve done it for several years and it’s a massive weapon for them,” Mbonambi admitted.

“For us, it’s about getting our details right within our system. We have to ensure everyone does their homework, watches the video clips, and identifies the opportunities to stop it.

“We also have a mauling weapon which we believe in strongly. We put a lot of work into our scrum, our mauling, and our forward play, and I’m sure they do the same.”

The scrum battle also looms large, with Mbonambi expecting a high-stakes encounter between the Sharks' band of established internationals and the Stormers' new generation of talent eager to prove their mettle.

Loosehead prop Ntuthuko Mchunu, who made the journey from the Sharks to the Stormers at the start of the season, has been a revelation in the Cape side's front row and player who is hungry to to fight for a place in the Springboks' set-up ahead of the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia.

“It is definitely going to be a big forward battle. We have seen throughout the season that in a derby, people want to put their hands up in their respective positions," Mbonambi said.

"There are quite a lot of youngsters coming through who want to make their mark, and it comes down to the preparation you do during the week and the execution on the day.”

"(Mchunu) is a phenomenal, explosive scrummager, we saw in the past few games, how he came off the bench and made a massive impact. He's one of the guys that we definitely analysing and obviously analysing their whole pack to make sure that our work is done in the week and to make sure once the weekend comes there's no surprises."