Sithole out to make his presence felt

DHL Stormers loosehead prop Sti Sithole is determined to make his considerable experience count as the Vodacom URC heads towards the business-end of the season.

The powerful Sithole earned three DHL Stormers caps as a 21-year-old and returned to the franchise this season a more experienced player with more than 100 senior caps to his name.

Sithole’s ‘debut’ in his second stint with the team has coincided with the absence of key players, and the 30-year-old has made his presence felt in a DHL Stormers jersey.

He has started seven matches in 11 appearances across all competitions, slotting back into the system impressively.

After a road loss against the Vodacom Bulls in Round 11, the DHL Stormers are in ninth place and two points shy of a playoff spot with seven rounds remaining in the 2023-24 campaign.

Sithole emphasised the areas that have been identified for improvement as the team contemplates a make-or-break schedule that includes a visit from Ulster on 30 March followed a week later by an Investec Champions Cup last 16 clash against La Rochelle.

“I think the key takeaways for us as a team were our roles within the system. We weren’t consistent enough within our roles and our discipline wasn’t up to our standard,” he explained.

“For me personally, my intensity on both sides of the ball wasn’t up to standard and looking to rectify that the next opportunity I get.

“We know we let ourselves and our fans down with the performance at Loftus Versfeld, so we are eager to turn things around, as a pack and as a team, with a dominant performance that is of our standard in front of our people at home.

“The next three weeks are season-defining for us. It’s vital for us. We’ve identified and addressed the areas we need to improve on and now we need to execute those workings on Saturday.”