The 'yster' in the Stormers team
SPOTLIGHT: Prop Brok Harris never thought he would be getting the opportunity to play his 100th match for the Stormers after he left the franchise in 2014.
The veteran notched up 93 caps for the team between 2007 and 2014 before leaving for Wales to play for the Dragons until 2021.
Harris, who returned to Cape Town last year, will soon turn 37, but he still feels he has plenty left in him to help the Stormers with their cause going forward.
“It’s unbelievable. Leaving seven years ago, I never thought in my wildest dreams I would get the opportunity to get the 100,” said Harris ahead of his team’s clash against the Sharks in Cape Town on Saturday.
“I was seven short and when I got the opportunity [to return] it was a no brainer.
“When I got back, I just tried to contribute and get that 100 and now it’s here, so I am very happy.”
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He added: “It’s good to be back in the South African culture. I won’t say Wales was bad but coming home is amazing and coming back to the Stormers, a place where everything started for me.
“The energy from the coaching staff and the players is just unbelievable. I slotted right back in, and I am looking forward to this weekend.”
When Brok returned to Cape Town, his main role was to work with the scrum coaches, but now he finds himself playing an integral part on the field.
“We initially got Brok in to work with the scrum coach after Shimmie [Hanyani Shimange] had left,” said Stormers head coach John Dobson.
“We wanted someone who could help with the scrum. He was part of an amazing scrum culture that was established from 2008 onwards when the scrum got more and more dominant.
“He came to help the youngsters and then bail us out whenever we needed him on the field.
“It didn’t take long until he was on the field and he was absolutely amazing on that URC tour where our front row did really well at scrum time and he showed some amazing handling skills in a try against Munster.
“Without Neethling [Fouche] and Frans [Malherbe] he has had to help us and move across. It’s a helluva achievement to go from a coach one season to a starting loosehead to then moving across to tighthead.
“I thought he would just be coaching and playing only if needed, but now he is the yster [iron] in the team.”
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