Ox Nché noted that France has maintained its strengths in the scrum throughout the season.
In recent years, France has excelled in set-pieces, and competing in the scrum against them feels as intense as facing a South African rival franchise, according to Ox Nché.
The South African prop spoke to the media during an online press briefing on Tuesday afternoon, prior to the upcoming Nations Championship match against Les Bleus in Paris on Friday night.
Both teams are currently at the top of their respective tables. While South Africa has won all four matches so far, France suffered a narrow defeat to New Zealand in their first match of July.
Bok scrums ‘a bit loose’
Nché joined fellow Sharks prop Thomas du Toit at the beginning of last weekend’s 66-7 victory over Italy.
The Springboks faced challenges against the Azzurri early on, conceding a scrum penalty before they gained control late in the match, particularly after Gerhard Steenekamp and Wilco Louw entered the game.
Nché emphasized the need for improvement if they hoped to replicate the dominance displayed earlier this season and during the previous year’s 32-17 win against France during their end-of-year tour.
“The Italians put us under a lot of pressure and performed exceptionally well,” Nché stated.
“We reviewed our performance and identified several areas for improvement. At times, we were out of sync and not aligned as a pack… We were a bit loose.
“They showed more determination, and their focus was unified.”
Scrums against France feel personal
He acknowledged that the Springboks had strategies to address this and would need to meet the standards they set for themselves when competing with France.
“The French take great pride in their scrums. Their team is filled with large, powerful players keen on scrummaging. France exemplifies how rugby welcomes all body types and sizes.”
Nché noted the French pack’s consistency in both the Six Nations and the Nations Championship this season.
Furthermore, French clubs have also shown strong performance in the scrums during the Champions and Challenge Cups.
“Facing them feels akin to playing in a local derby, where it becomes very personal against the opponent you are scrummaging with.”
He noted that this personal element distinguishes scrumming against France from facing teams like the All Blacks.
The match in Paris is scheduled to start at 10:10 PM.
