Sharks hooker Bongi Mbonambi says they are bracing themselves for a physical encounter against the Stormers. 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.
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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.
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