Springbok loosehead prop Ox Nche is gearing up for a scrum showdown in the Rugby Championship opener against an Australian team that's beefed up its pack. After handling the Wallabies with relative ease in last year's matchups, Nche predicts a sterner test at Ellis Park this Saturday.
The Wallabies are coming off a tough series against the British & Irish Lions and seem to have toughened up in the trenches. "They’ve got some good new combinations, and a lot of players who have also played together for a while, so they’ll be a big challenge," Nche remarked. His observations come after a year where the Australian scrum appeared to shy away from the fight, a tactic that won’t fly this time around.
"They didn’t like to scrum too much last year and had a few tricks up their sleeves, but I think they’ve improved a lot in that department."
Last year's scrums sometimes dissolved into no-contests due to injuries, frustrating the Bok pack who thrive on the contest. Yet, this year's Wallabies pack has shown resilience and grit, especially noted during their encounters with the Lions. "We saw in the Lions series how solid their pack is – you’ve got guys like Will Skelton, Taniela Tupou, and even the players coming off the bench. They compete well at lineout time and win most of their ball, so they’ve got the right combinations now," Nche added.
The face-off with Taniela Tupou is particularly anticipated by Nche, who has previous experience against the explosive prop. "I’ve scrummed against Tupou a couple of times, including back when I played in Australia. He’s a good, explosive guy who knows what he’s doing, so we just have to be well-prepared."
"Last year’s uncontested scrums in the second Test were frustrating and took away a lot of our firepower."
With the Boks currently ranked No 1 in the world, Nche knows the Wallabies will be itching to prove they can hold their own. "From their recent matches, they seem fired up in all areas," he observed. If Australia can match South Africa in the set piece, they might just leverage their strengths elsewhere on the pitch.
Nche concluded, "I think they’ll be more up for it than ever," signaling that the upcoming clash will be one for the books, with both teams looking to lay down a significant marker early in the championship.