The Springboks must look after the ball better and make the most of opportunities that come their way if they want to go 2-1 up in the four-Test series against the All Blacks at FNB Stadium in Soweto on Saturday, prop Ox Nche says.
Nche, who made his 50th appearance in the green and gold when the Boks beat the tourists in Cape Town last week, is expecting an epic third Test in Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry Series (kickoff 5.10pm).
“I think it’s going to be massive and we hope it will be sold out in Soweto. It’s going to be a huge occasion, and a challenge for both teams, and we’re looking forward to it,” he said.
“The Boks played and defended very well in the second Test.
“I feel like we could have done better on 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 in Cape Town, and we will try to fix them this week.
“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.”
Nche dismissed claims that the Boks were walking around the corner in the scrum to gain an advantage over the New Zealanders.
“Through the years, our scrum has always tried to go right through the pack,” he said.
“All Black coach Dave Rennie probably sees it differently, or builds a perception about our pack, but that’s why there are rugby laws, and not like actual laws where there is only one way of doing things.
“We have laws, and they are open for interpretation, and the man in the middle is always right, and we have to adapt. It’s open to interpretation.
“We tried our best to make the scrum a contest. But we had way too many resets, and spent too much time actually resetting, and the onus is on us to be better.
Nche said playing in his 50th Test had been a landmark moment in his career.
“Obviously, being my 50th, it would have been great to start, but then came the late change (because of weather conditions),” he said.
“I trust the coaches, I believe in the system, and understand I’m here because of the team, and to invest and believe in the plan, and we keep going forward.
“All I was thinking about was the people who believed in me from the beginning, the primary school coaches that said, I must come and play rugby.
“Looking back at the journey, it was special; in fact, one of my high school coaches messaged me.
“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.”
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