The all-Springbok front row of Ox Nché, Bongi Mbonambi and Vincent Koch may be called on for the Sharks against a hugely successful Stormers pack. Picture: Steve Haag Sports/Gallo Images Hooker Bongi Mbonambi said the Sharks are preparing for a gruelling showdown with a Stormers forward pack that has driven much of the Cape Town side’s success this season with dominant scrums and mauls. The 35-year-old Springbok, who spent seven seasons at the Stormers before moving to Durban in the 2021/22 season, said they have thoroughly analysed the Cape side’s strengths and weaknesses and are shaping their game plans in training ahead of two United Rugby Championship derbies against the table-toppers.
The Sharksand Stormers play their first coastal derby on Saturday (kick-off 7.30pm) in Cape Town and then repeat the clash the following Saturday at Kings Park in Durban. Both teams come fromwins in the Champions Cup, but while the Stormers will progress to the round of 16, the Sharks drop into the second-tier Challenge Cup. Back to the URC,the Stormersare still undefeated in eight matches.
The Sharks linger at 14th with just two wins. They have, however, recorded three wins out of five under new interim coach JP Pietersen despite the former Shark and Springbok wing utilising the same rotation policies as his predecessor, John Plumtree. But they will be tested like never before in the front, against a pack including the likes of André Hugo-Venter, Neethling Fouché,Zachary Porthen, Ben-Jason Dixon, Salmaan Moerat, JD Schickerling, Evan Roos, Marcel Theunissen, Ruan Ackermann and rising star Paul de Villiers.
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“The whole of South Africa knows how good the Stormers are mauling at the moment,” said Mbonambi. “It’s not just this season. They’ve done it in the past as well.
It’s a big weapon for them.” The hooker said the Sharks have done their homework by watching clips of the Stormers, and may see an opportunity to stop their maul. But the Durban side are also backing their own pack, with an all-Springbok front row (Mbonambi, Ox Nché and Vincent Koch) often in the mix.
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