STORMED TO 50

VERSATILE Stormers back Suleiman Hartzenberg smaaks to give head coach John Dobson a lekker kopseer when he runs out in his 50th game in Friday night’s United Rugby Championship clash against Cardiff.

The Stormers are playing in their final home game of the season, with Hartzenberg, 21, getting the special honour of running out first onto the Cape Town Stadium pitch.

It is another must-win game for the Kaapse span, who will also be boosted by the return of tighthead prop Neethling Fouche after serving a four-game ban for a dangerous tackle in an away game against Ulster.

A win against Cardiff will see the Stormers tie up fifth place on the URC standings, but Hartzenberg has other goals in mind and says of showing his versatile worth: “I see myself as a centre but if the team needs me at wing or to fill in anywhere else, I am happy to fill that role as well.

“It is ultimately about making myself more versatile as a player, being able to adapt to both centre and wing. [For us] as [versatile] players, it is important to cause more headaches for the coaches.”

The past two seasons have been phenomenal ones for the 21-year-old Hartzenberg, who got rewarded for his form with a couple of call-ups to Springbok alignment camps.  

And of how those experiences has made him uitgevreet to grow as a player, the recently married Stormers star says: “I think obviously for those alignment camps, it is completely different [from what you learn at the Stormers].

“The Boks work in a different system where it leaves you wanting more from it, and wanting remain part of the squad.

“They give you enough [info] to always want more and pursue the dream of becoming a Springbok one day.” 

And, of the special honour of earning 50 Stormers caps, Hartzenberg says: “It has been phenomenal and I have enjoyed every moment of it.”