Ox Nché has issued a warning to those expecting a straightforward afternoon against England at Ellis Park, insisting the visitors' scrum will pose a serious physical challenge when the sides meet in their Nations Championship opener on Saturday.
The 47-cap loosehead addressed media in Johannesburg on Tuesday, dismissing the notion that England's dismal Six Nations campaign — which yielded just one victory and a second-from-bottom finish — should be taken as evidence of weakness. Nché pointed instead to the quality of rugby played in the English Premiership, singling out the energy and variation brought by a younger generation of players who have forced their way into Steve Borthwick's squad.
"They're a pretty exciting bunch of guys," Nché said. "We've watched the Northampton Saints, Bath — the English Premiership has just been pretty exciting so I think they have a lot of youngsters that have played a lot of games for England. I think it's a team that's full of energy. They're going to definitely man-up upfront, try to be physical."
The prop went on to highlight the threat posed by England's backline, noting that the side no longer adheres to the one-dimensional approach they were once known for. "They have a lot of exciting wings, they have a lot of variation to the game as well. It's not like we all used to know them, stick to one thing — I think when they see opportunities on, they have all the talent and youngsters to maybe finish an opportunity when it arises."
Erasmus refuses to dismiss England
Rassie Erasmus has taken a similar line, refusing to treat England's recent run of defeats as grounds for complacency. The Springbok coach acknowledged the narrative surrounding the visitors but pointed to the short turnaround between disaster and redemption that defines Test rugby. "They've lost five on the trot and I guess that's why people immediately will think 'they are in trouble'. But from experience myself … a week is a long time. We lost 57-0 against New Zealand away and then the next week we won," Erasmus said.
Former Springbok lock Victor Matfield admitted to feeling nervous ahead of the contest, citing the lack of competitive action for a South African side whose players have arrived from all corners of the globe. "We've had the one Barbarians game, haven't really been tested," Matfield said on the Rivals podcast. "Our guys come from all over the world, get together. It's the first game of the season."
The scrum battle will provide an early barometer of England's intent. Nché will pack down alongside Malcolm Marx and Thomas du Toit in a front-row selected to impose itself from the opening whistle, but the visitors have shown recent improvement in that area and will not lack for confidence. Whether England can sustain that platform across 80 minutes at altitude, against a Springbok pack that includes Eben Etzebeth, Siya Kolisi and Pieter-Steph du Toit, will go a long way to determining the outcome.