At 6’2″ and 150kgs, Ben Tameifuna is an imposing figure on the rugby pitch, particularly at scrum time, but the Tongan captain has detailed what it’s like to scrummage against Springboks prop Ox Nche.

The powerhouse props locked horns at the 2023 Rugby World Cup for the first time, and Nche certainly left his mark on the match with his scrummaging prowess.

“Siya beat me to it”

So much so that Tameifuna wanted to trade jerseys with him after the game but was beaten to the punch with Springboks skipper Siya Kolisi asking to trade jerseys with the Tongan captain.

“I wanted to change with Ox at the World Cup, but Siya beat me to it,” Tameifuna told the Aotearoa Rugby Podcast.

“So I would have liked to get one of his. He’s such a strong scrummager and character, he’s quick as well I’ve seen a few runaways as well.

“It would have been a good player. I would have loved to get one of his jerseys, but obviously, Siya beat me to it at the World Cup.”

Tameifuna outweighs the Bok loosehead by over 20kgs, but the Bordeaux prop revelled in how powerful the South African is after being asked what he admires about him.

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“The first scrum, we hit in and I just felt my spine just go ‘cluck, cluck, cluck’ down my back, so that was a first I guess,” he said.

“Yeah, he is so powerful and knowing his history, and then he’s actually pretty quiet as well. I remember chatting to him after the game, and he is just pretty quiet on the sideline but just such a strong player scrummager and so quick, I would like to have his jersey.”

Earlier in the conversation, Tameifuna detailed how he had to adapt to the French way of scrummaging when he joined Racing 92, with many Top 14 props doing anything just to go forward.

When asked if Nche employed similar dark arts, he replied: “He is strong enough that he doesn’t have to do that.”

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Toughest opponent

While the Tongan star hailed the Bok loosehead, he did not crack his list for the toughest opponent he had faced, instead, it was former All Blacks prop Tony Woodcock, having gone toe-to-toe with the legendary forward during his debut Super Rugby season with the Chiefs.

“Probably the most vivid one would be Tony Woodcock in 2012. It was my debut season – fresh out of my undies in high school – and just watching Tony Woodcock play a final against France the year before, and here I am propping against him,” he said.

“It was a bit of a shock, but I think Tony must have been taking it easy on me in that game but such an experience; what a player too and Tony would probably be the toughest one.”

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Src: Planetrugby.com - https://www.planetrugby.com/news/ben-tameifuna-hails-springboks-spine-cracking-star-who-he-wanted-to-change-jerseys-with