'Bongi is not here to make mates'

 

Ntubeni's short career has been dogged by injury – this will be his fifth Super Rugby season and he has only got 20 caps for the Stormers – and he knows that an extended run this year will be vital if he is to force his way into the Springbok frame.

 

The dynamic hooker has toured twice with the Boks without earning a cap, and he knows that the two main threats to his chances of eventually making the step up to Test level are injuries and former Bull Mbonambi.

 

The physical Mbonambi has moved to the Stormers following a frustrating time with the Bulls which saw him spend most of his time on the bench, and Ntubeni knows that he will have to work hard to keep his place in the middle of the Stormers front row this season.

 

"I have known Bongi and I have played with and against him since 2007, so I know what type of player he is. 

 

"He is not here to make mates so I am working a lot harder and it is good competition, at the end of the day we both want the No.2 jersey," he said.

 

In order to justify his place in the Stormers starting line-up and compete for a spot in the Springbok squad Ntubeni knows that he needs to stay fit, which is a major focus for him in such an important year.

 

"The only way of getting in there is by doing well and excelling in Super Rugby, so at the moment that is my main focus.

 

"I want to have a proper, solid Super Rugby season, last year I played four games and the year before that I played five. 

 

"So I don't want to be injured again I want to be on the field, that is the only way I am going to impress anyone," he explained.

 

He added that he has learned from his battles with injury in the past, and feels that he will be able to manage his fitness better this season as a result.

 

"I have played less than 20 Super Rugby games and that is pretty worrying because this is my fourth or fifth year of Super Rugby so it just shows that I haven't really looked after myself and I have been unfortunate in Super Rugby.

 

"It is quite important to me to look after my body, I need to manage myself better because I really want to spend more time on the field," he said.

 

Both Stormers hookers have benefitted from the input of Springbok breakdown specialist Richie Gray who has been in Cape Town as part of the SARU mobi-unit, and Ntubeni said that the Scotsman has made a major impact.

 

"We all enjoyed Richie because all of his stuff is game-related, it is not just drills he is specific to your position so it is more what would happen in a game.

 

"I think that is why the guys enjoy him so much, it is not just about drilling into you, he is making you a better player.

 

"It is something that I do want to develop, you want as many strong points as you can have to have that x-factor or to create something extra," he said.