Thomas du Toit has thrown his considerable weight behind fellow front-row wrecking ball Ox Nche, saying the Springbok loosehead deserves to become the first prop in rugby history to be crowned World Rugby Men’s 15s Player of the Year.
Nche’s nomination is a tectonic shift in a world where props usually toil in the shadows. It sent a jolt through the global game on Tuesday.
He joins teammates Pieter-Steph du Toit and Malcolm Marx, with France’s Louis Bielle-Biarrey rounding out the shortlist.
For Thomas du Toit, the recognition is long overdue for a man who scrummages like a hydraulic press and carries like a runaway freight wagon.
“Ox is a special person and an incredible rugby player,” Du Toit said.
“I’m very grateful he’s getting the recognition coming his way. Everyone understands the type of player he is and how well he plays the game.
“For him to get this type of recognition is special. I’m very glad for him. If I could have it my way, I’d obviously have him win it.”
When asked if Nche’s breakthrough opened the door for him to be nominated next year, Du Toit laughed it off:
“I’m not going to push my luck; this is the first time a prop’s been part of it. I don’t know when the next one will be.”
South Africa are in Dublin preparing for a clash with Ireland that carries the weight of a modern rivalry, even if Du Toit insists there’s no grudge-match fuel in the Bok camp.
“I think the media, maybe the newspapers, would like to portray it that way, but we don’t see it like that,” he said.
“What we’ve done well over the last couple of months is take every match and put it in its own box.
“We don’t think too much about the past… We try to put each game in its own little box and focus as much as we can on that specific match.”
The Boks arrive unbeaten on tour after grinding out wins over France and Italy with 14 men. Du Toit expects more trench warfare in Dublin.
“There are a couple of things that will be similar to what we faced against France and Italy, both unbelievably physical sides,” he said.
“The one thing that might be different is the level of structure… almost structure within structure.”
Drawing from his time with Munster, Du Toit said Ireland’s precision is unmatched:
“They understand general play and set-phase play. They’re a couple of phases ahead, they know who they want to target.”
RG Snyman’s inside knowledge, he added, won’t hurt:
“RG obviously brings a lot of expertise… He knows the Ireland players very well. So there are definitely some personal insights. But those guys know some of our players too.
“At the end of the day, the real test is on Saturday.”
