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Bok victory overshadowed by Nché’s setback
The Star
|November 03, 2025
THE Springboks’ dominant win over Japan came with a sting in the tail —a serious injury to star loosehead prop Ox Nché that threatens to derail Rassie Erasmus’ front-row plans for the rest of the tour.
SPRINGBOK prop Ox Nché picked up a serious injury against Japan and is set to miss the rest of the year-end tour in a massive blow for the world champions.
(Backpagepix)
Nché was on crutches after the match, having hurt his ankle and knee in a tackle, according to Erasmus, who confirmed that the Boks’ scrum enforcer will likely not be available for the rest of the tour.
After the suspension of Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Nché has become the second loosehead casualty for the team.
The 61-7 victory over Japan was as good an opening match as the world champions could have asked for ahead of facing France, Italy, Ireland and Wales.
It provided much-needed game time for players like utility forward Franco Mostert, loosehead Gerhard Steenekamp, and the other Japan-based players who hadn't featured since the Rugby Championship victory over Argentina.
This story is from the November 03, 2025 edition of The Star.
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