The Stormers have reportedly secured the services of a Springboks prop to fill Steven Kitshoff’s void at the club ahead of next season.

Kitshoff announced his retirement from professional rugby earlier this week after sustaining a neck injury that almost took his life.

Director of rugby John Dobson feared that Kitshoff would not be able to recover and had already been in talks with potential looseheads props.

One of which being Sharks and Springboks front-rower Ntuthuko Mchunu, who has been on the Stormers‘ radar since Kitshoff suffered the injury last year.

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According to Rapport, talks between the Stormers and Mchunu have “gone well” and the three-cap international will make the switch to Cape Town next season.

“He [Mchunu] is on our radar definitely,” Dobson said last October.

“If you look at our loosehead roster, it’s Ali [Vermaak], Steve [Steven Kitshoff], Lizo Gqoboka all carrying injuries in some form and they’re senior props so a 24/25 years old Springbok like that would be a great addition to us.”

Sharks boss John Plumtree later gave his verdict, stating: “The challenge for us is to keep this team together, but the reality is players do move.

“We’ve got owners and there’s a lot of decisions to make around who comes and who stays, and we’ve got budgets. Losing any quality player is not what I want to do but the reality of this business is it can happen.

“So yes, if a player leaves, good luck, we’ll replace him with someone else. In any quality team no one is irreplaceable.”

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Further recruitments

The Durbanites now look set to have go to the market to find Mchunu’s replacement with the prop heading to the Mother City, where he is likely to get more starting minutes as he is currently stuck behind Ox Nche in the Sharks’ pecking order.

With the Stormers also set to lose veteran prop Brok Harris to retirement, 23-year-old loosehead Vernon Matongo is set to see an increase in minutes next season, a player that the coaching set-up is said to be excited about.

The report adds that Lizo Gqoboka will not play for the Stormers again as the club will not extend his contract while his season is over after sustaining a long-term Achilles injury.

Additionally, the Capetonians are reportedly eyeing Griquas loosehead prop Corne Lavagna who joined the Kimberly-based outfit from the Bulls’ youth set-up – the 21-year-old also played for the Springboks U20s.

The Stormers are also set to lose Hershel Jantjies and Joseph Dweba at the end of the season – the former heading to Bayonne and the latter likely to join Exeter Chiefs.

READ MORE: Springboks: Steven Kitshoff overlooks Lions Series success as he ranks his top three moments in his career

Src: Planetrugby.com - https://www.planetrugby.com/news/stormers-land-springboks-signature-to-fill-steven-kitshoffs-void-and-target-a-second-front-row-signing