Nche fired up for rematch with Quins’ Bok

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The Sharks will make their Champions Cup bow at home to a Harlequins outfit featuring a couple of familiar faces, which has Ox Nche pumped for the scrum battle on Saturday.

Nche and the Sharks will host former English champions Harlequins at Kings Park on Saturday afternoon in the Durban side’s first appearance in the Champions Cup.

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The game will see Nche go up against ex-Springbok teammate Wilco Louw, who has further enhanced his reputation as a powerful tighthead since moving to England from the DHL Stormers.

“I scrummed against Wilco when he was at the Boks, and at junior level, and also when he was at the Stormers,” Nche told the media on Tuesday.

“He is a big, heavy boy and has been doing well in England, but we have both grown a lot since we last scrummed against each other, so it will be interesting to see how it goes.”

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Saturday’s clash also marks a return to Kings Park for former Sharks crasher Andre Esterhuizen. The 28-year-old centre spent seven years in Durban between 2013 and 2020 before moving to London and was a key part of Harlequins’ Premiership win in 2021.

“Quins score a lot of tries within the first three phases after a set piece and Andre is a big ball-carrier and an important part of their game,” said Nche. “We know what is coming and have to stop them.

“Harlequins also run from anywhere on the field. They have a more attacking mindset than the teams in the United Rugby Championship. They can kick when you expect them to run and they run when you expect them to kick — they are unpredictable compared to the URC teams.”

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It has been a tumultuous time for the Sharks recently, with Sean Everitt sacked as head coach last week and director of rugby Neil Powell assuming the responsibilities.

“Sometimes hard things have to be done in order for us to keep getting better,” Nche said. “The mood is great and we are working harder, we want to prove we belong in the Heineken Cup, and we want to put the Sharks brand on a pedestal.

“What stands out is that Neil is focused a lot on all of us being aligned, whether you are playing on the weekend or not,” Nche added. “He wants everyone involved to be on the wavelength. He brings an element of order and everyone must be ready to sacrifice for each other if the team is to do well.”

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Photo: Gerhard Duraan/BackpagePix

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Dylan Jack