Springboks: Player ratings of 2023: Ox Nche

As the year draws to a close, we hand out some key player ratings to the top Springboks standouts. Next up: Ox Nche.

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OX NCHE: THE SPRINGBOKS’ SCRUMMING MACHINE

It’s fair to say that the Springboks would not have won the World Cup if it weren’t for Ox Nche. When South Africa completed a stunning comeback win over England in the Rugby World Cup semi-finals, it was a result largely inspired by the impact of the powerful prop.

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Nche came off the bench and won a series of scrum penalties that completed changed the momentum of the Test, with the final match-winning penalty having resulted from another three-pointer earned at the set piece.

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Nche, who is a popular and colourful character, was widely celebrated after the game, with his role among the ‘bomb squad’ proving to be a crucial component throughout the World Cup.

The 28-year-old ultimately featured in seven World Cup games, having established himself as one of the most destructive scrummagers at the tournament. He dovetailed brilliantly with Steven Kitshoff, and ensured the Boks never lost any grunt up front.

Nche is now a key member of the Springbok team, but there is little doubt that 2023 was his best season of Test rugby to date.

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OUR RATING FOR THE BOK BRUISER: 9/10

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