Scarra Ntubeni

Scarra Ntubeni takes part in the South Africa’s national rugby team Springbok training after the announcement of the new captain appointment on 30 May, 2016 in Stellenbosch, near Cape town. – Adriaan Strauss will captain South Africa in a three-Test home series against Ireland during June, new national coach Allister Coetzee announced Monday in Stellenbosch near Cape Town. (Photo by RODGER BOSCH / AFP)

Scarra Ntubeni: A true example of talent and tenacity

Tomorrow afternoon the achievement comes for the player, the lines that have been paralleled will finally converge as Scarra Ntubeni becomes the Springbok he was always destined to be.

Scarra Ntubeni

Scarra Ntubeni takes part in the South Africa’s national rugby team Springbok training after the announcement of the new captain appointment on 30 May, 2016 in Stellenbosch, near Cape town. – Adriaan Strauss will captain South Africa in a three-Test home series against Ireland during June, new national coach Allister Coetzee announced Monday in Stellenbosch near Cape Town. (Photo by RODGER BOSCH / AFP)

It is one of the darkest days in Springbok rugby history, 16 September 2017. As the All Blacks ran in try after try in the first half, I recall thinking to myself, “I am not missing church for this.”

I left about halfway into the first half and as I listened on the radio on my way to church – Springboks falling deeper into their abyss – I was content with my decision to cut that game short in order to navigate the Saturday morning Port Elizabeth traffic on the way to church.

I arrived to a full congregation, with visitors from King William’s Town and East London amongst whom was our chief choir mistress at the time – Deborah Ntubeni.

At the end of the service, I proceeded to go greet the lady everyone refers to as “Sis Debs.” I sensed an opportunity to ask about her son, Western Province and Stormers hooker, Scarra Ntubeni.

Scarra Ntubeni sidelined due to injury in 2016

“He’s injured again” she sighed. I empathised with her, the burly hooker had just returned from a 10 month injury layoff after he had snapped his Achilles in 2016 only to be side lined again no more than a month later.

Finding out the Springbok had succumbed to a record 57-0 loss against the All Blacks stung, but the most sinking feeling came in the midst of this conversation with Scarra’s mother.

“I can’t even watch him anymore” she said. “It’s like he’s going to get injured every time he plays” she continued with a grimace on her face almost as if she was watching him get injured again.

All I could muster were words of encouragement that I myself was struggling to believe at the time, “He will be fine, he just has to fully recover and just get as much game time as possible to get back to his best.”

We said our goodbyes and parted ways, but I could not help but feel that Scarra at that time much like the Springboks was in a very dark place, certainly the conversation with his mother painted a picture of despondence and maybe the immense talent would be lost to the physio and rehabilitation rooms.

The days where he scooped up Currie Cup Player of the Year as a 22 year old front rower and he embarked on his first Springbok tour seemed a distant memory.

If it was not the end for Ntubeni, then his career was certainly at a crossroads, doomed to be the promising talent who never reached the ultimate Springbok dream his ability warranted or he would knuckle down and work his way up to the top of the ladder again.

Picked for the Springboks squad for the first time as far as back as the 2013 End of Year tour, his potential to play for the Springboks has long been identified, but injuries and quality in depth kept him from making his Test debut.   

Scarra’s redemption song

Again much like with the Springboks, 2018 was a year of starting on clean slate and working his way back to the upper echelons of rugby, provincial/franchise rugby in his case. Ntubeni returned fully fit and bided his time in the SuperSport Rugby Challenge while Bongi Mbonambi and Ramone Samuels shared the hooking duties to much fanfare in Super Rugby.

An injury to Samuels at the beginning of the Currie Cup presented an opportunity for Ntubeni to return to take the WP no.2 jersey he had made his own all those years ago and a campaign which only had the blemish of the loss to the Sharks in the final was a success.

Despite a good Currie Cup campaign in 2018, it was not enough to merit Springbok selection for the European tour, but Scarra certainly had the public looking up again and had to a certain degree regained the admiration of his fans.

This season he established himself firmly as Bongi Mbonambi’s deputy at the Stormers and despite an indifferent campaign from the Stormers in Super Rugby, the 28 year old has made significant progress, so much so that Springbok mentor Rassie Erasmus felt this week the time was ripe for the realisation of a Springbok dream that has almost been 6 years in waiting.

The last 4 years for Ntubeni and Springboks have been paralleled, a disastrous 2016 and what promised to be a better 2017 ultimately proved to be rock bottom. 2018 was the beginning of the rebuilding phase for both player and team and now 2019 comes with positive strides and a sense of achievement for both, a maiden Rugby Championship for the team.

Tomorrow afternoon the achievement comes for the player, the lines that have been paralleled will finally converge as Scarra Ntubeni becomes the Springbok he was always destined to be.

Both despondency and dark times a thing of the past, his parents, his family and all the people who have supported him through a tough period should look on with pride as this tenacious character get his due reward.