Junior Boks prop Phiwayinkosi ‘Rambo’ Kubheka is eager to learn from All Blacks great Ma’a Nonu after returning to the Sharks.
Kubheka is one of the young players set to benefit from Nonu’s stay in Durban as part of a high-performance mentorship programme aimed at developing the club’s next generation.
Rather than focusing on the two-time World Cup winner’s physicality, Kubheka is keen to understand the mindset that has allowed Nonu to remain at the top of the game for so long.
“The one thing I would ask him about is mindset,” Kubheka said. “People talk about rugby being a physical game, but it’s also deeply mental. I want to understand how he’s been able to keep his mind in equilibrium with his physicality and how he’s consistently maintained that mental sharpness over so many years at the top.”
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Kubheka returns to domestic action after helping the Junior Boks lift the Junior World Championship trophy, captaining the side in their opening pool match against Uruguay.
The young prop said the achievement is still sinking in.
“It feels so surreal,” he said. “You play to win, and then when you win, in that moment it doesn’t quite feel like you’ve won. But then as time goes by you think, wow, we’ve actually accomplished something this big. It’s breathtaking.”
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Kubheka is in line to feature off the bench for the Sharks XV against the Stormers XXIII in Saturday’s Currie Cup clash in Cape Town and believes the Junior Boks’ campaign has prepared him well for the challenge.
“It’s helped me a lot, especially physically,” he said. “Your body gets used to the collisions and you get exposed to the physicality. I think the U20 level is actually quite similar to the Currie Cup in that regard.
“I am looking forward to being back with the Sharks and making a contribution.”
Photos: Sharks/David Rogers/Getty Images
The post Rambo keen on Ma’a masterclass appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
Junior Boks prop Phiwayinkosi ‘Rambo’ Kubheka is eager to learn from All Blacks great Ma’a Nonu after returning to the Sharks.
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