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Stormers hold on to Springbok hooker Ntubeni as another heads to the exit
By Online Editors
The Stormers have managed to retain the services of one of their Springbok hookers. Siyabonga Ntubeni has signed a three-year contract extension with Western Province Professional Rugby (Pty) Ltd.
The seasoned front row forward has been with WPPR for his entire professional career and will build on over a decade of experience over the next three years.
Having arrived in Cape Town straight out of school in 2010, Ntubeni has since accumulated 76 caps for the Stormers and 73 caps for Western Province.
The all-action hooker, who made his Springbok debut just before the 2019 World Cup, is known for his industrious style on the field and the important role he plays in the team environment off the field.
Stormers Head Coach John Dobson said that having a senior player like Ntubeni commit another three years is incredibly valuable for the entire squad.
“Scarra is a player and personality that embodies what we are all about as a squad. He is loyal and passionate about the team, but also plays the game with flair and with a smile on his face,” Dobson said.
“As a player of considerable skill and experience, he will play an important role in helping develop the next generation of stars over the next three years,” he added.
WPPR Chairman Ebrahim Rasool said that the long-term commitment of players like Ntubeni is the source of encouragement about the future.
“Scarra has never played for another team in his professional career and his continuing loyalty constitutes encouraging feedback for the enabling environment we continue to nurture for all our players,” Rasool said.
“We are intent on building further on that and Scarra’s experience will be invaluable in that regard going forward,” he added.
RugbyPass understands that the franchise are likely to lose the services of their other Springbok hooker, Bongi Mbonambi, who looks set to join Harlequins.
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Latest Comments
Cane shouldn’t have been one last year, based purely on performances. Lakai is as close to a like for like of swap of Savea you’re ever likely to find, based on his short career so far at least. He has many of the same qualities - very strong ball carrier, great at the breakdown, and an absolute work horse on defence. I feel like he and Sititi could lead the way in the loose at the next WC.
I think we have become obsessed with replacing Kaino with someone exactly like him. Kaino was a perfect foil for the other loose forwards we had at the time. Based on the talent we have around at the moment those players could be made up in the aggregate by three players who are all exception all rounders - Lakai, Sititi, and Savea. Missing some height for sure but Sititi’s defensive work in the line out last year was phenomenal. He gets off the ground so quickly and was able to steal a couple of balls off the top of the springbok line out.
If our young locks coming through can actually stay fit long enough to get selected, it seems inevitable that Va’ai could end up in a hybrid 6/lock role.
Go to commentsWas strange game, full of errors and the usual refereeing decisions. Both teams suffered as a result but Ospreys discipline was a major factor. I think this weekend will be different as the Ospreys will pick a full strength team but Scarlets will gain confidence in the fact that only Tipuric was missing in the forwards and they dominated that pack for the whole 80 minutes. If they can repeat that dominance at scrum and breakdown then the Scarlets backs will always have more to offer on the front foot.
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