South Africa prop Ox Nche expects another fiercely contested encounter when the Springboks face the All Blacks in the third Test of the Castle Double Malt Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry Series at FNB Stadium in Soweto on Saturday, September 5.
The series is perfectly poised at 1-1 after New Zealand claimed victory in the opening Test before South Africa responded with a hard-fought 33-26 win in the second meeting at DHL Stadium in Cape Town on Saturday.
The result was particularly memorable for Nche, who reached a significant personal milestone by earning his 50th Test cap for the Springboks.
However, with the series now level and the rivalry moving to Johannesburg, the experienced prop knows the All Blacks will arrive determined to bounce back and reclaim the advantage.’
Ox Nche braced for another epic All Blacks clash
The Springboks returned to Johannesburg on Sunday morning following their victory in Cape Town and were scheduled to have a recovery day before returning to the training field on Monday.
Attention will now turn to FNB Stadium, where a crowd of more than 80,000 is expected for what promises to be another major occasion in one of rugby’s most celebrated rivalries.
Nche is relishing the opportunity to play in front of such a large crowd and believes the atmosphere will add another dimension to an already high-stakes encounter.
“I think it’s going to be massive and we hope it will be sold out. It’s going to be a huge occasion, and a challenge for both teams, and we’re looking forward to it.”
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For Nche, the upcoming Test will also be an opportunity to build on an emotional milestone. Reaching 50 international appearances gave the Springboks forward a chance to reflect on the people who played a role in his journey from his school days to becoming an established international player.
“Looking back at the journey, it was special, in fact, one of my high school coaches messaged me this afternoon,” said Nche.
“He literally used to take time out of his family schedule to come and help us with gym and on the field sessions during the holidays. From him to all the coaches who have been involved in my life over the years, it’s amazing.
“It was a day of reflection, seeing how far I’ve come and thinking about all the people who believed in me and backed me through the years, I just wanted to make them proud and keep going.”
Despite the significance of the victory in Cape Town, Nche believes the Springboks still have plenty to improve before the third Test.
South Africa produced a strong defensive display to secure the win, but the prop admitted that their attacking execution and ball retention could have been better.
“I think we played and defended very well,” said Nche.
“I feel like we could have done better in attack and taken a few more chances, and we didn’t look after the ball as well as we could have. But the result is what matters.
“We saw the mistakes we made last week and tried to fix them this week. They’re (the All Blacks) are probably feeling now the way we felt last weekend, and they will obviously come back better, so it’s our responsibility to keep improving and capitalise on our chances.”
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Those comments underline the challenge facing the Springboks as they prepare for another meeting with the All Blacks.
New Zealand will be hurting after surrendering their lead in the series and will be expected to respond strongly in Soweto. South Africa, meanwhile, will want to use the momentum from their Cape Town victory while correcting the mistakes that allowed the visitors to stay in the contest.
With the series tied at 1-1, Saturday’s Test carries enormous significance. A victory for either side would give them the upper hand with two matches still remaining in the series.
The third Test at FNB Stadium will kick off at 18:10 EAT on Saturday, September 5, with the match set to be broadcast live on SuperSport.
After two closely fought Tests that have already delivered plenty of drama, the rivalry now moves to Soweto, where another heavyweight battle awaits. For Nche and the Springboks, the objective will be clear: build on the Cape Town victory and take control of the series.