Ox Nche and the 'bomb squad' that carried South Africa to World Cup final

For the liquid nitrogen in his veins, Handre Pollard took the player of the match spoils as the South African fly-half’s late, long-range penalty proved to be the dagger in the heart of England’s colossal semi-final crusade.

But those who did not watch the match blindfolded might have had an altogether different candidate in mind for the match’s individual prize: Retshegofaditswe ‘Tshego’ Nche - or Ox, as he is more commonly known.

Ox by name - and by nature. Or should it be “His Excellency Retshegofaditswe Nche”, as the South African loosehead’s Wikipedia page read on Sunday morning? Now deleted, those same internet pranksters had tweaked Nche’s biography on the encyclopaedic website, claiming that the English front-row had been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder in the wake of the 28-year-old’s arrival to the Stade de France turf on Saturday night.

Citation needed, perhaps, but the overarching sentiment cannot be dismissed out of hand. Nche’s introduction in the 49th minute of the Springboks’ victory was the undoubted peripeteia, with the breezeblock loosehead instrumental in every moment in which the match - and its momentum - swung in favour of the Springboks.

South Africa’s ‘bomb squad’

At five scrums on the bounce - the first against Dan Cole before the tighthead was replaced by Kyle Sinckler - Nche marmelised the right-hand side of the English pack. Cole and Joe Marler had scrapped supremely for 50 minutes to neutralise the equally venomous duo of Steven Kitshoff and Frans Malherbe, but the English scrummaging ranks were eventually found wanting when the South African cavalry arrived. The final, decisive penalty was officially awarded against Genge by referee Ben O’Keeffe but the damage had already been done, the scene already set, on the other side by the brutish Nche.

They are known as the “bomb squad” and the Springboks’ replacements could have done no more to blow the match wide open, to detonate and obliterate England’s valiant effort into smithereens. But this was no coaching masterstroke, no psychological ingenuity. Nche’s arrival alongside Vincent Koch will have been entirely foreseen by both England and the wider rugby world; what might not have been foreseen, however, was the devastation that the duo would cause.

“He’s an unbelievable player, an unbelievable scrummager, and around the park as well,” said Koch of Nche after the match, with the Springboks looking ahead to a final against New Zealand on the same ground next Saturday. “Definitely one of the strongest looseheads I’ve scrummaged against - and I’ve scrummaged against him every week. He’s an unbelievable rugby player, still very young and he’s got an unbelievable future.

“He’s very strong, probably one of the strongest in our team. But he’s got unbelievable technique as well. His body type suits him. He’s nice and short and the biggest thing is he targets a way where other tightheads think they are in control - and that is where he comes to play.”

Frankly, Sinckler never looked in control - and, surely, with what was to come, the tighthead must never have felt it, either. That is all part of the abstract, intangible approach of this South African scrum. There is elite technique, of course, but Nche believes the way in which he got the upper hand over Sinckler is too arcane to be defined; hardly a revelation from a player whose self-proclaimed motto is “salads don’t win scrums”.

“That is the dark arts,” the loosehead said. “It is hard to explain to you. We had a plan for [their replacements]. We knew what we were trying to achieve. They have had great scrums for the competition and a great hit. Our focus was surviving that and applying pressure... Our mentality for every scrum is to get a penalty if we can.

“Things didn’t really go our way in the first half but we adjusted well and came up with a plan. The guys in the first half gave us good info and we adjusted pretty well to the plan and what we wanted to achieve.

“Our plan was simple: get to know the guy who is across from you. Kyle and I have played against each other for quite a while and I have got to know him.

“It looked like we weren’t in sync [in the first half]. We weren’t playing together and we weren’t trying to achieve one mission. At half-time the message was that we have one objective: to work together and stick together. That was the difference between the first half and the second half.”

‘The bomb suqad has a plan’

It was the bench what won it for the Springboks, with the replacements keeping alive the South African dream of becoming just the second side in history to retain the World Cup. Alongside Koch and Nche, there was Pollard’s clutch goal-kicking, Le Roux’s footballing organisation, De Klerk’s infectious energy and Snyman’s skilful physicality; England were the latest victims of the bomb squad’s onslaught, now it is New Zealand’s turn - in next Saturday’s final - to have a go at vanquishing this impactful cabal.

“The bomb squad has a plan,” added Koch. “Each person knows exactly his role in the team, whether you’re starting or in the bomb squad. And from the start. When we created the bomb squad, we knew exactly what our job was. The starters start the whole process and it’s for us to come and finish it.”

Cruelly for England, they did - none more so than Nche.