Stormers loosehead prop Ntuthuko Mchunu has been outstanding for the Cape side as they look to make a final push for a home play-off in the last two URC league matches of the season.
Image: BackpagePix
There are striking similarities between Stormers loosehead Ntuthuko Mchunu and Springbok legends Tendai Mtawarira and Os du Randt when it comes to scrummaging and their destructive ball-carrying ability.
While it is a confidence boost for the 27-year-old Mchunu to be likened to stars of yesteryear, the bulldozing front-rower is intent on forging his own path in the jersey of the Cape side. The Stormers will look to take one step closer to sealing a home play-off when they face Ulster on Friday evening in Belfast.
His arrival at the inaugural United Rugby Championship (URC) champions came at a critical time, and the former Sharks prop has made the No 1 jersey his own since the retirement of Steven Kitshoff and Brok Harris. Now, his goal is to help the team go deep in the play-offs of the club competition before looking to make his mark with the Boks.
“At the moment, I am focused on the Stormers,” Mchunu said, ahead of an important URC clash against Ulster on Friday evening in Belfast.
“Should I play well enough, and those in charge feel I belong there, I will get a shot. But for now, I believe if I focus on working hard at the Stormers and we go all the way, that will be the reward. My main focus is certainly here, and when the time comes, I will get an opportunity.
“We will be playing on quite a challenging pitch this Friday, so you have to get your studs right. But coach Brok has prepared us well. It is not so much about the opposition, but whether we can be better than we were last week.
"I’ve played in Belfast, and it’s a tough crowd; it is not an easy place to go and win, but it is doable. The forwards have worked really hard to ensure we prepare with the same intensity and accuracy for this one as we have for the last three.”
Before his switch to prop over six years ago, Mchunu had set his sights on making it as a loose- forward. His build and tenacity suggest he would have made a success of life at the back of the scrum. However, a few conversations with his former Sharks Under-21 coach, Sean Everitt, and the dominant Bok scrum that powered South Africa to victory at the 2019 Rugby World Cup convinced him to make the switch.
Mchunu says the influence of Mtawarira and Kitshoff fueled his decision, and he is now reaping the rewards. He arrived at the Stormers carrying an injury and faced a two-month lay-off, but has since established himself as the leading loosehead alongside the likes of Vernon Matongo.
“Back in 2020, or late 2019, my U21 coach at the time, Everitt, suggested I make the move. I played loose forward at Craven Week and went to my first SA Under-20 camp, but I didn’t make that side. I thought he was joking when he said I should switch to prop.
“Knowing the kind of character he is, I thought he was pulling a joke in front of my friends. But a few weeks and months went by, and he said it again. After the third time, I pulled him aside and asked if he was serious, and whether I was a bad loose forward.
“He said I was not a bad loose forward, but that he believed I would be a better prop. It was a tough pill to swallow because I had conditioned myself and viewed the game as a loose forward.
“The Springboks went on to win the World Cup, and seeing how those props were conditioned and how they played gave me a real appreciation for scrummaging — that’s when I bought into it.”