If the Stormers beat the Sharks on Saturday, it will mark two consecutive unbeaten years at Cape Town’s DHL Stadium for the home side against South African opposition.
The Stormers have only lost two matches at the stadium since the start of the United Rugby Championship (URC): the final against Munster in May and a 37-19 loss to the Lions in December 2021.
It’s a proud record helped by having fervent supporters streaming in through the turnstiles on matchdays.
When the Stormers beat the Bulls 26-20 last weekend, there were 42,000 fans at the stadium.
This weekend, the longest-serving member of the current playing squad — along with Frans Malherbe — Scarra Ntubeni, will run out in front of that impassioned crowd for his 100th appearance for the Stormers, although the occasion has been slightly manufactured by head coach John Dobson.
Scarra Ntubeni of Western Province during the Currie Cup Premier Division match between DHL Western Province and Vodacom Bulls at DHL Stadium on 29 April 2023 in Cape Town, South Africa. (Photo: Carl Fourie / Gallo Images)
“What I didn’t want, and the group didn’t want … you don’t want something to go wrong with Scat and he finishes on 99 or his 99th is Sharks away,” he said on Friday.
“We forced it a little bit because that guy absolutely deserves to run out for his 100th game in front of his home crowd.
“It was a bit engineered. Had it been a normal game we probably wouldn’t have changed the hookers.
“If we can control the narrative around his 100th game we wanted to do that. So that was a bit of a fabrication. It is sentimental but it’s not to the detriment of the team whatsoever — he’s playing good rugby.”
Although the 32-year-old’s playing time has decreased over the last few seasons, Dobson
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