This is the second article in the series of Stormers Squad Contenders for Super Rugby 2015.

A bit of good and a lot of bad news for Stormers supporters, as Bongi Mbonambi joins the Stormers from the Bulls but with recent news that Tiaan Liebenberg has retired due to continued injuries and of course also with the fact that Deon Fourie has left for overseas.

We discuss the players IN the Super Rugby Group, and not all the options beyond that.

In this Article we look at the contenders for HOOKERS in the DHL Stormers 2015 Super Rugby group, and whether they could force their way into Bok contention.

One cannot help but feel that the Stormers are light in the hookers and in the front row in general for 2015.

The Contenders:

Name: Mbongeni Theo “Bongi” Mbonambi:

Position Hooker Height 1.80 Weight 97 Date of Birth 7 January 1991 Place of Birth Bethlehem Provincial Debut 2012 for Blue Bulls Provincial Caps 30 Provincial Points 5 Super Rugby Debut 2012 for Bulls Super Rugby Caps 15 Super Rugby Points 0 Test Debut Test Caps 0 Test Points 0

Bongi made his first provincial rugby steps with the Griffons at Under 16 level, representing them in the Under 16 Coca-Cola Grant Khomo Week in 2007.

He joined the Blue Bulls from 2008 where he represented them in 2008 and 2009 at the Under 18 Coca-Cola Craven Week and in 2009 he also made the SA Schools sde.

In 2010 he represented the Blue Bulls at Under 19 level.

In 2011 he played Varsity Cup rugby for TUT and was chosen to play for South Africa in the IRB Junior World Championships and also played for the Blue Bulls at Under 21 level.

He first played senior rugby for the Blue Bulls in the Vodacom Cup in 2012 and made his Super Rugby debut during the 2012 Super Rugby season against the Crusaders in Pretoria. He also still played Under 21 rugby for the Blue Bulls and played in the ABSA Currie Cup Premier Division.

In 2013 he played for Tuks in the Varsity Cup and for the Blue Bulls in the Vodacom Cup and in the ABSA Currie Cup Premier Division.

In 2014 Bongi once again played Super Rugby for the Bulls and also represented the Blue Bulls in the ABSA Currie Cup Premier Division.

He signed for DHL Western Province and the DHL Stormers at the end of the 2014 season.

Rugby Career:

• 2007: Griffons (Under 16 Coca-Cola Grant Khomo Week)
• 2008: Vodacom Blue Bulls (Under 18 Coca-Cola Craven Week)
• 2009: Vodacom Blue Bulls (Under 18 Coca-Cola Craven Week), South Africa (SA Schools High Performance), South Africa (SA Schools)
• 2010: Vodacom Blue Bulls (ABSA Under 19 Competition)
• 2011: TUT (FNB Varsity Cup), South Africa (IRB Junior World Championships), Vodacom Blue Bulls (ABSA Under 21 Competition)
• 2012: Vodacom Bulls (Vodacom Super Rugby), Vodacom Blue Bulls (Vodacom Cup), Vodacom Blue Bulls (ABSA Under 21 Competition), Vodacom Blue Bulls (ABSA Currie Cup Premier Division)
• 2013: Tuks (FNB Varsity Cup), Vodacom Blue Bulls (Vodacom Cup), Vodacom Blue Bulls (ABSA Currie Cup Premier Division)
• 2014: Vodacom Bulls (Vodacom Super Rugby), Vodacom Blue Bulls (ABSA Currie Cup Premier Division)

Name: Siyabonga “Scarra” Ntubeni:

Position Hooker Height 1.75 Weight 100 kg Date of Birth 18 February 1991 Place of Birth East London Provincial Debut 2011 Provincial Caps 38 Provincial Points 10 Super Rugby Debut 2011 Super Rugby Caps 16 Super Rugby Points 5 Test Debut Test Caps 0 Test Points 0

Ntubeni’s junior provincial career was with Border (Under 16 – 2007) and thereafter at Under 18 level at the Golden Lions (2008 & 2009), before he joined Western Province for the 2010 season.

He debuted for both Western Province and the Stormers in 2011, however it wasn’t until the 2012 Currie Cup that he really established himself as a first team member. He featured in all of Province’s 12 games during that campaign and was instrumental as his side lifted the Currie Cup for the 33rd time. Ntubeni was a starter as Western Province triumphed 25-19 over the Natal Sharks in Durban.

2013 Got off to a slow start as injury ruled him out of the first half of the Stormers season, but he did return for the final 8 games and this coincided with an upturn in his sides fortunes following a lacklustre first half of the season. He again made a big impact in the 2013 Currie Cup, taking advantage of Tiaan Liebenberg’s injury and skipper Deon Fourie’s switch to the flank to again be an ever present member of the side. He started 11 games and made 1 substitute appearance as Province reached the Currie Cup Final for the second year in succession, this time going down 33-19 to the Natal Sharks in Cape Town.

On 28 October 2013 SARU announced that Ntubeni was included in the 30-man squad for South Africa’s 2013 end-of-year rugby union tests against France, Scotland and Wales in November 2013, however, he did not play in any of the matches.

He was again chosen for the Springboks End Of Year Tour in 2014, never getting an opportunity to play in a Test.

Rugby Career:

• 2007: Border (Under 16 Coca-Cola Grant Khomo Week)
• 2008: Lions (Under 18 Academy Week)
• 2009: Lions (Under 18 Coca-Cola Craven Week), South Africa (SA Schools Under 18)
• 2010: Western Province (ABSA Under 19 Competition)
• 2011: DHL Western Province (Vodacom Cup), UCT (FNB Varsity Cup), DHL Stormers (Vodacom Super Rugby), DHL Western Province (ABSA Currie Cup Compulsory Friendlies), DHL Western Province (ABSA Currie Cup Premier Division), Western Province (ABSA Under 21 Competition)
• 2012: DHL Stormers (Vodacom Super Rugby), DHL Western province (Vodacom Cup), DHL Western Province (ABSA Under 21 Competition), DHL Western Province (ABSA Currie Cup Premier Division)
• 2013: DHL Western Province (Vodacom Cup), DHL Stormers (Vodacom Super Rugby), DHL Western Province (ABSA Currie Cup Premier Division), Springboks (Castle Lager Outgoing Tour – Squad Member)
• 2014: DHL Stormers (Vodacom Super Rugby), DHL Western Province (ABSA Currie Cup Premier Division), Springboks (Castle Lager Outgoing Tour – Squad Member)

Name: Michael Evan “Mike” Willemse:

Position Hooker Height 1.85 Weight 104 kg Date of Birth 14 February 1993 Place of Birth Cape Town Provincial Debut 2013 for Western Province Provincial Caps 10 Provincial Points 0 Super Rugby Debut 2014 for the Stormers Super Rugby Caps 1 Super Rugby Points 0 Test Debut Test Caps 0 Test Points 0

Willemse was included in the Eastern Province Kings squad at the 2010 Under 18 Academy Week and also played for the Eastern Province Under 19 team in the Under 19 Provincial Championship competition in the same year. In 2011, he also represented them at the Craven Week competition.

In 2013, he played Varsity Cup rugby with the UCT Ikey Tigers.

He was called up to the Western Province Vodacom Cup squad at the conclusion of the Varsity Cup competition and made his first class debut on 13 April 2013 against Argentina side Pampas XV and made 4 appearances in the competition.

He made his Currie Cup debut a few months later when he came off the substitutes’ bench for their match against The Sharks following Tiaan Liebenberg’s late withdrawal through injury.

In 2014, he was called up into the Stormers squad for their 2014 Super Rugby match against the Sharks, following Deon Fourie’s late withdrawal through injury.

In 2013, he was included in the SA Under 20 squad for the 2013 IRB Junior World Championship. He made 3 substitute appearances – against the USA (scoring two tries), England, and France.

Rugby Career:

• 2010: Eastern Province (Under 18 Academy Week), Eastern Province (ABSA Under 19 Competition)
• 2011: Eastern Province (Under 18 Coca-Cola Craven Week)
• 2013: DHL Western Province (Vodacom Cup), UCT (FNB Varsity Cup), South Africa (IRB Junior World Championship), DHL Western Province (ABSA Under 21 Competition), DHL Western Province (ABSA Currie Cup Premier Division)
• 2014: DHL Stormers (Vodacom Super Rugby), DHL Western Province (Vodacom Cup), DHL western Province (ABSA Under 21 Competition)

Starters:

It’s a toss-up of who to start with, either Scarra Ntubeni (most likely) or little Mike Tyson… errr sorry I meant Bongi Mbonambi.

The hookers are smaller than your typical international brand of hooker, but they make up quite a bit with heart and being very mobile in the loose.

Two hookers with oodles of experience has left the Stormers between seasons, so the battle for starting hooker should be fierce.

The question whether THAT is enough to get the best out of the players will be answered in the 2015 season.

As backup the Stormers will have Mike Willemse, to cover hooker.

The next Article in the range will deal with the Stormers locks.