READY TO RUMBLE Ox Nche says there is plenty of room for improvement as the Springbok prop prepare to front up against France on Friday.
Springbok powerhouse Ox Nché says the pack got exactly the kind of workout it needed against Italy, but warned that there is plenty of room for improvement before Friday night’s heavyweight showdown with France in Paris.
The Boks ran out 66-7 winners in Turin, but the emphatic scoreline disguised a more uncomfortable afternoon in the trenches. The scrum penalty conceded by South Africa was a visible reminder that the Italians had their moments up front, and Nché revealed that the set piece contest was not as one-sided as the scoreboard suggested.
“They put a lot of pressure on us, and we have some work to do,” said Nché from Paris. “We weren’t on the same page as a pack. They were definitely more determined than we were. We were a bit loose.
“We’ve got solutions, and we’ve worked on them to get a performance that matches our standards.”
That work will be put to a much sterner test against France, whose tight forwards have largely escaped the injury crisis that has affected other areas of Fabien Galthié’s squad.
Nché, who will earn his 54th Test cap on Friday, expects a fiercely contested battle at the Stade de France.
“In the French Top 14, they love their scrums,” he said. “The French team is a good example of how the game is played by all shapes and sizes. They’ve got guys who are really good at scrummaging, and they’ve been very consistent through the Six Nations and in the European competitions.
“It feels very personal when you scrum against these guys, especially for the guy opposite you.”
Nché also laughed off suggestions that France's lengthy injury list, which includes four flyhalves, might have taken some of the sting out of the challenge.
“Will they be less of a threat? Absolutely not. They’re still a very dangerous team, and there are good options in the squad.”
Under Galthié, France have followed a similar approach to Rassie Erasmus in building depth, with a steady stream of youngsters introduced over the past two seasons.
Nché believes that has made them formidable.
“Their squad has grown,” he said. “We don’t look at it any differently from last season. They’re still very good players, they understand their system, and they’re looking to implement it and play their way.”