Springboks prop stocks hit as Rassie Erasmus names Ox Nche’s replacement after ‘tough’ injury

Rassie Erasmus has added Asenathi Ntlabakanye to the Springboks squad following the injury to Ox Nche, who returns to South Africa.

Nche was forced from the pitch in the opening 20 minutes of the 61-7 victory over Japan at Wembley Stadium on Saturday.

The powerhouse loosehead will undergo scans to determine the extent of his injury when he touches down back in South Africa.

Ntlabakanye replaces Nche

Meanwhile, Ntlabakanye joined the Springboks squad in London on Sunday morning after representing the Barbarians against the All Blacks XV in Brentford.

The tighthead prop, who made his Test debut against Italy in July, departed with the squad for France a few hours later and could now add to his two caps.

Ntlabakanye’s call-up means that Thomas du Toit is likely to provide cover at loosehead prop in Nche’s absence, along with Boan Venter and Gerhard Steenekamp.

“We feel for Ox, and we wish him all the best with his injury and recovery,” said head coach Erasmus.

“It’s always tough to lose a player of his calibre, but Asenathi is a capped Springbok and he has been with us for a large part of the season, so he is familiar with our structures and systems.

“Adding to that, he was on our standby list for the tour, so there was always a chance he would be called up if we suffered an injury.

“Fortunately, he was in London already, so he arrived at the team hotel this morning and will be able to slot back into action immediately, which is fantastic for us.”

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Failed drug test

Ntlabakanye’s second cap came against Australia in the Rugby Championship, but the prop was omitted from the touring squad to New Zealand after he returned an “adverse analytical finding” during random testing.

He was not provisionally banned and has been free to play while he contests the finding, with Erasmus previously explaining that he was omitted from the squad to focus on fighting a possible ban.

“We could’ve brought him on tour, but I had a long conversation with him about it,” Erasmus said at the time.

“If you look at the emotional and personal side of it, having Asenathi on tour would’ve led to a lot of questions for him. To play and be ready for a Test, your focus must be 100% on the match. I think in this situation, he needs to deal with the matter and ensure he presents his side of the case. It’s very emotional for him.

“Unfortunately, it would not have been in his best interest to be here with us.”

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