Ntuthuko Mchunu has been on the radar since Beast Mtawarira anointed him years ago, but his move from the Sharks to the Stormers finally unlocked the consistent form that made him impossible to ignore. His 2025/26 URC season was genuinely exceptional for a loosehead — six tries, 192 metres carried, 22 defenders beaten (the most of any prop in the competition), and 65 tackles at nearly six per game. Those numbers place him in the top five percent of URC props for metres carried and try assists, and paint the picture of exactly the kind of modern Test-ready front-rower Rassie's system demands. After just two bench caps in 2024 and none in 2023, the piece traces how a change of environment, a near-miss November tour call-up through injury, and a fresh coaching voice in Cape Town reignited his drive. Mchunu himself is clear-eyed about his role in the squad — his job is to maintain standards whether starting or supporting, and the mindset doesn't shift based on who played the week before.
Mchunu's Stormers move turned potential into a Bok recall
Mchunu's move to the Stormers produced the best season of his career — elite URC numbers across carrying, defending and tries — and the piece breaks down exactly why those performances made his Bok recall inevitable.
Siya Kolisi's Final Sharks Season | All Of His United Rugby Championship Tries
#SharksRugby #URC #SiyaKolisi
Siya Kolisi's Final Sharks Season | All Of His United Rugby Championship Tries
#SharksRugby #URC#UnitedRugbyChampionship
What Bordeaux's Champions Cup demolition of Leinster means for SA's URC finals hopes
Rich uses Bordeaux's physical demolition of Leinster as a lens on SA's URC finals prospects — arguing the Stormers cost themselves and their SA counterparts dearly by failing to secure second place, while flagging a scrumhalf depth problem that extends beyond the URC and straight into Erasmus's Bok planning.
Burger: Roos earns his Bok recall — but the soft-skill weakness is real
Burger endorses Roos's Bok recall but flags a genuine soft-skill concern, while De Villiers uses Papier and Horn to argue Erasmus's selection culture consistently rewards sustained URC form.
Rennie's word for his All Blacks reset: 'Brutality'
Martin Devlin reports that Dave Rennie has told New Zealand media his All Blacks reset centres on 'brutality' over flair — and that Rennie privately selected Richie Mwanga for the tour opener despite NZR eligibility rules blocking him, a conflict Devlin says NZ rugby has yet to resolve.