Saturday’s United Rugby Championship (URC) derby between the Stormers and Lions in Johannesburg will be a bittersweet moment for the visitors experienced tighthead prop Frans Malherbe.
Malherbe is set to become the first player to make his 150th Stormers appearance but there will be an element of sadness to his milestone as he will not have long-time front-row partner Steven Kitshoff packing down beside him in the scrums for the Cape Town-based outfit.
The duo, who are both aged 33, came through the ranks together at Western Province (WP) and the Stormers while both were also part of the Springboks’ back-to-back Rugby World Cup-winning campaigns in Japan and France in 2019 and 2023 respectively.
Kitshoff sidelined indefinitely
Kitshoff is currently sidelined from rugby indefinitely after sustaining a severe neck injury while on duty for WP in a Currie Cup match last year and Malherbe said it will be unfortunate that his fellow Bok – and other team-mates – will not be in action with him against the Lions.
“I feel for Kitsie. I would have loved for him to be out there on the field with me,” he told reporters. “But the same goes for a lot of the guys that I have played with.
“On the flip side of the coin it’s going to be awesome to have the guys next to me who I play with now.
“So yes I feel for Kitsie that he is not playing now. But there are guys that I have played with before him that are also very special to me and the guys that I play with now as well.
“So luckily I don’t get to choose (who plays).”
Malherbe has been a regular in Stormers matchday squads since making his debut for them in 2011 and apart from his two Rugby World Cup triumphs with the Boks, he was also part of the Stormers’ squad who were crowned the inaugural URC champions in 2022.
He admitted that he did not think he would reach all those glittering heights when he started out as a professional rugby player and said it’s difficult compare all his achievements in the game.
‘I have made some awesome memories with this team’
“No I didn’t think so (making his 150th Stormers appearance). I have made some awesome memories with this team, teammates and former teammates since then,” said Malherbe.
“First of all you can’t compare it to other stuff. There is no comparison between other achievements. There is a fine line of feeling very proud and then actually focusing on the game.
“In a good positive way it is just another game because if you make it about yourself and the milestone you might fall into a trap of not focusing on the game, the process and outcome.
“But it is very special and I feel very honoured.”
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Src: Planetrugby.com - https://www.planetrugby.com/news/frans-malherbe-preparing-for-bittersweet-stormers-milestone-against-lions
