'Senior citizen' Ox Nche embraces role of nurturing Springbok newcomers
Image: Backpagepix
Roly-poly Springbok prop Ox Nche is not entirely comfortable with his elder statesman status in the Springbok squad — but that is the reality following the retirement of Steven Kitshoff and a season-ending injury to Frans Malherbe.
The 29-year-old Nche is now a veteran of 40 Test matches and has been tasked with showing the ropes to emerging Boks such as Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Ntuthuko Mchunu, Gerhard Steenekamp, Asenathi Ntlabakanye and Boan Venter.
'Ever since I have been in the system, I've never felt like a junior or a senior,' Nche says.
'It has always been a case of: you have to do your job, you have to know your detail, and you have to do the hard work. It's still the same. But you see the younger guys come in and it is easier to help them understand the process and help them improve — because somebody did that for me.
'Kitsy and the guys helped me a lot. Now it's my turn to take on that added responsibility, because you have to help the next guy take the jersey to the next level and leave it in a better place.'
Nche says the responsibility does not place extra pressure on him.
'It makes you want to better yourself. You know the standards that have been set. It just makes you want to take them and try to elevate them to the next level.'
Nche has been working closely with Lions loosehead Ntlabakanye and rates him highly.
'I knew him before we came to camp. We've got to know each other better now because we train together, we work hard together, and the relationship has just become easier. It's easier to be open and honest with each other in the same team.
'When we give each other advice, we are actually pulling each other up. We don't doubt the information we're giving each other.
'He's a good player, he works hard, has rugby IQ, and he loves the game. That's one thing I've noticed about him.
'Even after a tough session, you can see that while Asenathi knew it was hard, he understood it had to be done.'
Since June last year, Nche has started 12 of the 13 Tests he has played in — a marked contrast to the Bomb Squad role he occupied for years.
'Whether I'm starting or coming on, the mentality stays the same. The only difference is that when you start, you don't know what's coming — like what mood the opposition is in.
'It's not like when you're on the bench and you can see what their intent is — what you're up against is much clearer.
'But the mentality stays the same. You have a job to do, and you have to maintain the standards that the other guys have set, or bring the standard the coach wants from you.'
Nche says being a Springbok comes with the perpetual need to uphold and drive standards.
'As much as there are a lot of youngsters in the team, most of them have played in the United Rugby Championship and been to the alignment camps, where the standards have already been explained by the coaches.
'There might be pressure on guys trying to find their feet, but you know what is required of you and you do the extra work to make sure you're on the same level if you feel you're not.'
Nche believes the future of the Bok front row is in good hands.
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