Mbonambi returns to Stormers and is named on bench against Ulster
Bongi Mbonambi has signed for one year with the Stormers after his contract at the Sharks ended. The hooker is already among the replacements for Saturday 31 October in Cape Town.
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Bongi Mbonambi is back at the Stormers and straight into action. The South African hooker has signed a one-year contract with the Cape Town franchise and is on the bench for the home game against Ulster on Saturday 31 October at the DHL Stadium. The Sharks announced that his contract had been terminated by mutual consent, with immediate effect.
The return of the two-time world champion fills a specific gap. The Stormers are without several specialists in the hooker position, at the heart of the front row. André-Hugo Venter, Deon Fourie, Lukhanyo Vokozela, Almero Keizer and Luca Bakkes are injured; JJ Kotzé is suspended. Mbonambi's arrival therefore adds an experienced option to a depleted area.
A reinforcement already on the team sheet
Vernon Paulo will start at hooker against Ulster. Mbonambi will wear number 16 among the replacements, alongside props Vernon Matongo and Neethling Fouché. His place in the squad is confirmed; how much game time he gets will depend on how the match unfolds and on the coaching staff's decisions.
He is returning to a club he knows well: he played 74 matches for the Stormers between 2015 and 2021, before leaving for Durban.
Changes around him
The announced line-up contains ten changes and one positional switch after the win over the Scarlets. Ruhan Nel takes back the captaincy at centre, while Damian Willemse starts at full-back. The half-back pairing is Cobus Reinach with Yaqeen Ahmed, the two players who had finished the previous match; Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu is rested.
The Stormers go into this match ahead of a four-week break. John Dobson is counting on the new combinations to help secure a fourth consecutive home win.
Kick-off against Ulster is scheduled for 14:45 in Cape Town, which is 13:45 in Brazzaville. For Mbonambi, this return to Cape Town opens a new contract; the Ulster game could also allow him to begin this second spell on the pitch.
Related reading: how Ahmed rescued the Stormers against the Scarlets.