DHL Stormers’ tighthead prop Sazi Sandi is set to earn his 50th cap for the DHL Stormers in their United Rugby Championship clash against Edinburgh at DHL Stadium on Saturday at 19:00 (SA Time).
“I have been here since I was 18 years old, so for me, when I do play my 50th game for the Stormers, it will be a very special moment for me.”
“It is something that I have earmarked from the start of the season, and I will be very excited when the opportunity comes, because I will think of my dad and the role he played in helping me choose WP as the union I should come to.”
Sandi made his Stormers debut in 2020 during the Super Rugby Unlocked competition against the Cheetahs, and attributed his growth as a tighthead to the quality of players he scrums against on a daily basis.
“When you come in as a youngster, you get a few punishments. You have scrum coaches in your ear. In the beginning, it was someone like Shimmy, and now it is Brokkie driving the standards up.”
He noted that while the Stormers' scrum stats haven't been "firing on all cylinders" recently, the pack remains fully committed to their physical culture.
“It is all about getting an understanding of what goes on in the scrum, what it takes to be successful in the scrum. They give you problems to solve, ways to get your right foot forward.”
“At the Stormers, we are always keen to go. Brokkie sets out the standard at the start of the week, and the buy-in is not just from the front row players. The back five also get really excited about scrumming. We love it when the guys in the back five are saying ‘Let’s go for it’. The biggest thing is that we must always go together.”
“And you are scrumming with someone like Neethling or Frans, with all their experience, and against someone like Ali Vermaak. You are rubbing shoulders with and training against some of the best scrummagers in the world.”
Sandi has highlighted the challenge posed by Edinburgh's scrum, which ranks among the best in the URC. .
“Both Boan Venter and Pierre Schoeman are very good players, and we are doing our analysis on them. When you play against the best, it is a great challenge; you just have to put your right foot forward. They are world-class, so it is an opportunity to prove yourself.”