Despite picking up an early injury against the Glasgow Warriors in their final home game, Stormers loosehead prop Ntuthuko Mchunu soldiered through the pain and scored two tries to help his side to a crucial victory in Cape Town in the URC.
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A couple of months ago, the Springboks were struggling for depth at loosehead during the November Test matches in Europe.
So much so that they had to deploy Zachary Porthen, normally a tighthead, at loosehead against Wales in the final game of the season. It was an experiment that showed the Boks they had depth in the No 1 position.
Fast forward a couple of months and head coach Rassie Erasmus will have a conundrum on his hands when it comes to selecting his starting front row – and especially who will wear the No 1 jersey when the Nations Championship arrives.
Stormers star Ntuthuko Mchunu has put in the performances in the No 1 shirt to make Erasmus think twice about how he will incorporate Ox Nché, Gerhard Steenekamp and Mchunu this season. With his displays for the Cape side in the United Rugby Championship and Champions Cup, Mchunu has shown that he is ready to take on a starting role for the national side.
Nché is surely the incumbent, but his impact off the replacement bench has been immense for the Sharks, and there could be an opportunity for Erasmus to explore using him as part of the Bomb Squad. That would make Mchunu the ideal starter, particularly with his prowess in the loose and his scrummaging.
John Dobson, Stormers director of rugby, praised Mchunu for the impact he has had at the Cape side. He left the Sharks in pursuit of more playing opportunities after finding himself behind Nché in the pecking order, and the move to the Mother City has done his game the world of good.
“He’s going to be pushing for much higher honours,” Dobson said of his loosehead.
“He’s a different individual. His general play is good and I can’t see how he doesn’t suit our team. Since he’s come here, I think Brok Harris is another unsung hero, and our scrum culture is so strong.”
“I think he’s going to be a star for South African rugby for some time to come.”
Dobson also cautioned that Mchunu is attracting interest from overseas clubs. That is why they are keen to keep the 27-year-old playing his rugby in Cape Town for the foreseeable future.
In their final home game against the Glasgow Warriors, the powerful prop went down early with a shoulder injury and had to call on the Stormers’ medical staff. After staying down for a while, the former Sharks player got back to his feet and continued, scoring two crucial tries in a 48–12 victory that took the Stormers to the top of the URC table.
Looking ahead, the Springbok loosehead will be a crucial cog in their URC title challenge as he continues to stake his claim for the Boks’ No 1 jersey alongside Nché and Steenekamp.
Dobson added that they are working hard to fend off overseas interest in their first-choice loosehead.
“His general game, especially his ball-carrying, is outstanding. There are lots of people overseas who like him, so we’ll have to see if we can ward off that threat.”