Springbok prop Ox Nche has revealed the mental warfare and technical mastery behind his scrummaging ability in the buildup to Saturday’s clash with England at Twickenham.
The teams will renew rivalries this week in a repeat of South Africa’s 2023 Rugby World Cup semi-final victory, where Bok world champion Nche famously dismantled the English scrum in Paris.
Speaking in a wide-ranging interview with The Guardian, the affable 29-year-old attributes his success to a combination of textbook technique and steely focus.
“The first scrum you’re going to look each other in the eyes, it’s all confidence, it’s mano a mano and then when you get to the fourth scrum, if you’ve done your job, he’s no longer looking at me in the eyes, he’s having a doubt,” Nche said.
MORE: ‘Bok scrum is where SA dominates’
“You see the other team, their forward pack, they don’t feel that confident in what they do anymore, it gives me great pleasure.”
“It’s technique and knowing what you’re doing,” the Sharks loosehead added. “The rest is when you can’t think anymore but the habits, being in good shape, good pictures, that’s when it starts kicking in.”
Nche’s tactical approach extends beyond the set piece: “I like the confrontation, I’m a very niggly player.
“Tightheads… I’ll hold you down just to get you more tired. I guess it helps when it comes to scrum time, they think: ‘This guy has been niggling me the whole time’ and he’s thinking about emotion and not really about what you have to do.”
Photo: Steve Haag Sports/Gallo Images
The post Scrum boss Ox thrives on being ‘niggly’ appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
Src: sarugbymag.co.za
