Ntlabakanye, gentle giant lets rugby do the talking

For many, he is an Ellis Park cult figure who relishes the rough and tumble of the game’s biggest collisions. Thanks to his disarming charm, however, Asenathi Ntlabakanye is equally adept at caressing the conscience.

There is certainly more to Ntlabakanye than meets the eye.

Beneath a happy-go-lucky veneer, much rests on the tighthead prop’s shoulders as he lays it all on the line. “I’m the first in my family to go to a private school. To play professionally is something I pride myself in,” he said.

“My family is really proud of me, and I’m trying to do them proud as well. There is a lot of pressure to be able to provide. It’s a nice pressure. It’s not the kind of pressure you shy away from. It’s a pressure I cherish, to be able to provide for my family.”

Roundabout way

Against that backdrop. it’s unsurprising rugby came to Ntlabakanye in a roundabout way. He attended The Crags Primary School, 25km outside Plettenberg Bay. “To be honest, I was kinda forced into playing the game.

“I’ll forever thank my teacher for that, Mr Marais, who has sadly passed away. He was the one who took my hand, pushed me forward into playing rugby,” he said — though his mom was influential too. It was around grade 8 when I got my scholarship to Saints (St Stithians), and I realised I was pretty decent at this and that I might take it forward as a career.”

He is an awesome young talent, he is a big fella and hopefully he gets a decent shot for the Boks one day  

—  Steven Kitshoff, Bok loosehead prop

Speaking only Xhosa and Afrikaans, his time at Saints was going to be devilishly difficult but, thankfully, his rugby did most of the talking. His love for the game deepened. “I feel rugby is a beautiful game. What gets me going is big tackles. That gets me into the game.”

Full brunt

The Bulls’ Sergeal Petersen and the Stormers’ Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu had the misfortune of running into his embrace. “That tackle on Sacha is one of the biggest hits I’ve seen in a long time,” recalled Bok loosehead prop Steven Kitshoff.

“He is an awesome young talent, he is a big fella and hopefully he gets a decent shot for the Boks one day. He is probably one of the most dangerous ball-carrying front rowers and defensively the biggest hitters in the game.”

The double Rugby World Cup-winning prop explained why Ntlabakanye is such a handful. “His size, with his athletic ability, makes him quite dangerous,” said Kitshoff of the player who weighs in at over 140kg.

“Scrumwise, he’s come a long way from a couple of years ago. I don’t think he was a great scrummager back then but I think as he has been working with Julian (Redelinghuys, the Lions’ scrum coach), and has grown his game. He has become more dangerous. He has a good work rate for his size. He is dangerous with ball in hand. That’s what gives him X-factor as a front rower.”

Time on side

The Bok tighthead queue is long but at 25 Ntlabakanye has time on his side. “I think he’s got the talent for it,” said Kitshoff. “It however depends how Rassie (Erasmus) sees his work rate off the ball. He has the X-factor in URC and EPCR performances but it will be interesting to see if Rassie believes his work rate is good enough for Green and Gold.”

Ntlabakanye doesn’t appear to be weighed down by what others expect of him. He is already acting out his dream, though other star-studded avenues he believes remain open.

“This is probably funny but if it wasn’t for rugby I’d probably be in Hollywood,” he said matter of factly. “I think I’m a good actor. I took drama at school. I was pretty good at it.”

Ntlabakanye, who greatly admires Denzel Washington and is mildly obsessed with Prison Break, sees himself in comedy and action dramas. “I see myself as someone who can be a hero,” he said earnestly.

He only takes one persona onto the field and it involves him wearing his game face. “When I’m on the field I’m a different person. I like to have fun and have a smile on my face and be serious. I just tell myself ‘this is showtime’.”