By Adnaan Mohamed
Asenathi Ntlabakanye’s rugby journey has taken another dramatic twist. Just a week ago, the Lions prop was bulldozing defenders in a Barbarians jersey. Now he’s back in Springbok green and gold right in the middle of a media storm.
The 26-year-old has been called up to replace the injured Ox Nche, who limped off during South Africa’s 61–7 demolition of Japan at Wembley on Saturday.
But Ntlabakanye’s recall comes with added scrutiny, he’s still awaiting an anti-doping hearing in December after testing positive for a non-performance-enhancing substance earlier this year.
Ntlabakanye, who disputes the finding, missed the Boks’ September tour of New Zealand after returning the adverse result. Despite the pending case, he remains eligible to play, and the Bok coaches haven’t hesitated to bring him back into the front-row mix.
“I’m not going to comment on a case that’s ongoing at the moment,” said assistant coach Felix Jones when asked about the issue.
“I’m not sure the world knows about it yet, but his skill set is incredibly impressive. He’s a very dynamic player who can get around for a guy who can handle himself in the scrum or on the ball.”
The timing of his recall couldn’t have been tighter. Ntlabakanye scored a second-minute try for the Barbarians against the All Blacks XV at Twickenham on Saturday, before flying across London to rejoin the Bok squad the very next morning.
A few hours later, he was en route to France, ready to line up against Les Bleus in the Autumn Nations Series this weekend.
Head coach Rassie Erasmus said the call-up was an easy decision:
“We feel for Ox and wish him well in his recovery. Asenathi has been with us for a big part of the season, he knows our systems, and he was already on standby. The fact that he was in London made it an easy fit to slot back in straight away.”
At 141 kilograms, Ntlabakanye brings raw power and energy to the Bok front row. And he’ll need all of it as he battles Gerhard Steenekamp and Boan Venter for a spot against France.
It’s been a whirlwind few months for the Johannesburg-born prop. From Test debut, to controversy, to this sudden recall.
But now, under the bright lights of Paris, he has a shot at redemption and a chance to remind everyone what he does best: dominate the scrum, not the headlines.