VIDEO: Eben Etzebeth has 'nothing to prove' in Cape Town
SPOTLIGHT: Stormers hooker Scarra Ntubeni admitted that it will be a bit “weird” when he comes up against Eben Etzebeth in a United Rugby Championship clash in Cape Town on Saturday.
Etzebeth is set to headline a group of World Cup winners in the Sharks squad that will head to Cape Town for the Round Nine fixture.
The 32-year-old was a stalwart in Stormers colours between 2012 and 2019 before he headed to France to play for Toulon.
He moved to Durban in 2022 and has played big roles in some of the Sharks’ wins over the last two seasons.
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“I don’t think he will have a point to prove,” said Ntubeni when asked about his former teammate.
“Knowing Eben, he is just so fired up for every game, whether he will be playing on the C-field at Bishops or Cape Town Stadium.”
Ntubeni, who will be running out for his 100th Stormers cap on Saturday, added: “He is very competitive, so I don’t think he has got a point to prove Maybe this week they [Sharks] will be asking him a few questions about us since he spent six or seven years with us.
“They will definitely dig into his history about me, Neethling [Fouche] and the other guys that he was here with, which we would also do.
“If we play the Bulls, we have Lizo [Gqoboka] who will give us some advice and the coaches will decide whether to use it or not.
“I think it is going to be weird playing against him [Etzebeth].
“I have never played against him, so it is going to be challenging, but we are looking forward to the fight on Saturday.”
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— The Sharks (@SharksRugby) December 27, 2023
Plumtree’s Sharks
Meanwhile, the Sharks have had a tough season so far under new head coach John Plumtree.
They are currently second-last in the URC standings with one win from seven matches. However, Stormers defence coach Norman Laker believes it will just be a matter of time before things fall in place for them.
“With that amount of experience in the team, if the penny drops on the day, they can beat anyone in the competition,” said Laker.
“I just think Plumtree is working with new players and maybe they are just struggling to find their feet. Once they do then they will be a tough team to beat.
“In this competition, you can’t take any team for granted.”
Laker is also looking forward to working with a bolstered squad this week with Dan du Plessis, Herschel Jantjies and Warrick Gelant all available for selection.
“It’s healthy competition that we have at the moment.
“There are guys doing well in the position and then there are guys returning from injury. It is always nice to have competition within the squad.”
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