Koch keen to keep it tight

New Stormers tighthead prop Vincent Koch feels privileged to be wearing the Stormers jersey and is looking forward to testing himself against the best forwards that Super Rugby has to offer.

Koch made a name for himself with impressive performances for the Pumas in the Currie Cup and was subsequently picked up by the Stormers to bolster their front-row for the Super Rugby season.

"It's a massive privilege to play for a Super Rugby union. I grew up in Wellington and have fond memories of coming to Newlands to watch matches and seeing the players progress through the ranks. Being part of a winning culture is amazing and I'm really looking forward to contributing to the team.

"Putting on the Stormers jersey against Saracens was a huge honour and I am humbled when I get a chance to wear it. Knowing there are plenty of people who would love to be able to wear it makes me feel really blessed.

"I enjoy the brand of rugby played here [at the Stormers] and never in my wildest dreams did I think I would end up playing here after growing up in Huguenot, Wellington.

"I am on loan from the Pumas, so at the moment, I'm only here for the Super Rugby season but you never know what the future holds. I'm not concerning myself with making a permanent move to Cape Town because I just want to concentrate on giving my all for the Stormers and the rest will take care of itself," he said.

The 24-year-old is known for dominating his opponent in the scrums. He started his career off as a loosehead prop but, while playing for the Pumas in the Currie Cup, made the switch to tighthead and, as the saying goes, the rest is history.

"I switched to tighthead during the Currie Cup when Jimmy [Stonehouse] decided to see what impact I would have in that position. its a nice challenge for me to have made the switch and its an aim for me to be the best tighthead in the country.

"The difference between loosehead and tighthead is like night and day, so you can't compare the positions. As a loosehead, you can get away with not attacking every scrum, whereas the tighthead must attack every scrum. He had to feature and make himself known," he added.

The Stormers have placed massive emphasis on the way they approach the scrums and have made improvements in that facet of the game, however, Koch feels they will only really know how much progress they have made when they test themselves against a fellow Super Rugby team.

"We made a big deal about the scrums and have put in a lot of work in that area of the game. We had a good outing against SWD but we will only really know how much progress we have made when we come up against a Super Rugby team.

"Coming from a smaller Union and getting to work with someone like Matt [Matthew Proudfoot] is amazing. He has helped me by sharing his tricks and giving me valuable tips on how to go about my business in the scrums. Having made the switch from loosehead to tighthead, you not always comfortable with certain things but everyone has been really helpful, especially the players.

"When we play the Cheetahs [on Friday], we will know how much progress we have made in the scrums. It's a nice challenge to go test ourselves against a team who is known for having a good scrum and a big pack of forwards. If we can get the better of them in the match, we can send a message to the other sides as well," he stated.

By Tauriq Ebrahim

@rugby365com