VIDEO: Louw v Nche - battle of the beasts
With the incumbents well into their 30s, two 20-something props go head-to-head in Pretoria on Saturday at the start of the next World Cup cycle.
Steven Kitshoff (31), Frans Malherbe (32), Vincent Koch (33) and Trevor Nyakane (34) may find 2027 a bridge too far.
That is why the face-off between Wilco Louw (29) and Ox Nche (28) at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday is adding additional intrigue to the United Rugby Championship Round Seven encounter between the Bulls and Sharks.
Nche was called “the most destructive loosehead in the world” and “a human wrecking ball” after coming off the bench as part of the Springboks’ Bomb Squad at the victorious World Cup campaign in France.
Louw, a product of the Stormers, honed his craft alongside Kitshoff and Malherbe, before his journey brought him to the Bulls via a stint in the Premiership with Harlequins.
They are two beasts of the set-piece world and both are key to their respective teams’ dreams of success this season.
Nche will again start off the bench, while Louw looks set to start for the Bulls in Pretoria.
The scrum battle will certainly be an intriguing one, with Louw and Nche likely to face off at some stage – unless there are injuries.
Nche said the much-hyped scrum battle is more about the two ‘systems’, rather than the individuals in the rival packs.
(WATCH as Ox Nche talks about taking on fellow Springbok Wilco Louw in the big Loftus face-off on Saturday…)
The Sharks front row – standing between 175 and 185 centimetres – is a touch shorter than the Bulls combination (178 to 190 centimetres).
That requires slightly varied approaches.
“They might be taller, but they have a system that works for them and puts them at an advantage,” Nche said.
“We have to find a way to implement our system and enforce [our methods] onto them,” he added.
He said scrumming is about ‘using what you have’ and making it work and ‘neutralising’ the opposition’s strengths.
“Wilco has a good reputation around his scrumming and he is a pretty strong scrummager, so we will need to have very good plans to neutralise that,” Nche explained.
“They are a good pack; they have been putting teams away at set-piece time.
“I think it is going to be a massive challenge for us and I think we just have to be up for it.
“They scrum well as a unit and not just the front row.
“They all know what the plan is and follow it well.”
For Louw, a driving force for the Bulls this season, the challenge will be personal.
The shift in quality of performance from the Bulls’ pack, particularly the scrum, bears testament to the value that Louw adds.
“The longer the season carries on the more we as a pack learn about each other and get comfortable with the guy alongside you, and you know exactly what to do in certain situations,” Louw said in an interview issued by the URC media team.
“The more games we play the tighter we get as a group, and we have great coaches. And guys like Gerhard Steenekamp, who made his international debut [in 2022], have impressed and every guy adds something different.
“There’s not a single guy who isn’t a hard worker and every bit of input helps.
“I can’t say exactly what makes the perfect scrum, but together hopefully it’s a good year for us.”
Louw made his Springbok debut in 2017, earning the last of his 14 caps in 2021, and his focus on the Bulls is part of a bigger goal to pack down for the reigning world champions again.
“It’s every professional rugby player’s dream to play for his country, but first I have to play good rugby for the Bulls every weekend,” he said.
“If it happens it’ll be unbelievable. South Africa is our home, and that dream will always be there.”
Nche made his debut in that odd match against Wales at the RFK Stadium, in Washington, in 2018.
He has added another 27 Test appearances – the last of those coming off the bench for the Boks in their 12-11 World Cup Final win over New Zealand at Stade de France, in Paris, last month.
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* Additional reporting by @URCOfficial
