Ntuthuko Mchunu still captained Maritzburg College's First XV at No.8 in 2018 — and his initial reaction when a coach suggested a move to the front row was disbelief. Seven years on, he has three Test caps as a prop and is now part of the Stormers set-up after moving from the Sharks in March 2025.
It was Sean Everitt, then the Sharks Under-21 coach, who planted the seed, telling Mchunu the loose forward pathway was too congested for a player with his ambitions. The suggestion was initially dismissed, but Everitt returned to the conversation and the 27-year-old eventually made the switch — one that has since taken him to Test level.
All three of his caps have come off the bench, and Mchunu is measured about his international prospects. 'Should I play well enough and the people there feel I belong, I will get a shot. However, my main focus is on the Stormers,' he said.
Stormers assistant coach Rito Hlungwani has spoken warmly of Mchunu's development since his arrival in Cape Town, describing the environment as one where the prop is consistently challenged and responds well to it. 'There is plenty more coming, and I am happy with where we are,' Hlungwani said.
Mchunu scored in the Stormers' 48-12 demolition of Glasgow Warriors, part of a try-scoring run he is careful not to overstate. 'I've been fortunate that I scored in recent games, but it is more important that the plans we put in place during the week is reflected in our performance on the weekend,' he said.
His ball-carrying ability — the attribute that defined his back-row years — remains central to his game at prop. While he acknowledges the influence of mobile front-rowers like Os du Randt and Tendai Mtawarira, Mchunu is focused on carving his own identity. 'It is good to look at those guys, but it is more about writing my own story,' he said.
Mchunu's conversion is part of a broader tradition of successful positional switches in the game. Mtawarira himself played No.8 at school before becoming a Springbok fixture at loosehead, while Malcolm Marx began as a flank before establishing himself as one of the world's premier hookers. Jan-Hendrik Wessels, who has played hooker, loosehead prop, lock and No.8 at various stages, represents the current generation of front-row hybrids in the Bok setup.