Ox ready to Boks clever with new scrum laws

One of the abiding characteristics of Ox Nché’s burgeoning Test career is his “let's roll up sleeves” disposition to potential obstacles.

He tends to take impediments in his stride, as evidenced in his pronouncements about the new scrum law variations. Nché concedes, though, it lends itself to an element of unpredictability before the Springboks’ clash with the Wallabies in their Rugby Championship opener in Brisbane on Saturday.

Nché is part of a vastly experienced Springbok team, featuring nine Rugby World Cup winners. The Wallabies by contrast are paper-thin on the experience front.

Their problems are compounded by the absence of their wrecking-ball tighthead prop Taniela Tupou, who will miss the match for personal reasons. Nché will instead pit his skills against captain Allan Alaalatoa.

“For me, their scrum is unpredictable,” Nché said. “You can see they want to scrum — they stay in the contest. They will do anything to make sure they dominate and go forward.

“It’s going to be a challenge for us, especially given we aren’t in Super Rugby any more. It will be the first time since last year we get to scrum against them.

“From what I have seen, they can be unpredictable. You don’t know what they are going to bring. We have to be prepared for anything.”

The Wallabies, in the absence of real grunt upfront, have proved street-smart operators at scrum time.

As part of the new law variations scrums will have to be formed within 30 seconds or the offending team will concede a free-kick.

Nché is unbothered.

“We’ve looked at our scrums even before these slight law changes. It shouldn’t be a problem for us. We have to adapt,” he said.

“We have spoken about it and made plans for it. I don’t think the new law variations, forming the scrum in 30 seconds, is depowering the scrum. It just demands a bit more from the front-rowers — and the entire forward pack, actually.

“You have a lot of people talking about the scrum and I’ve said in the past, most people who don’t want scrums should just go watch rugby league. There are no scrums there and it’s similar.”

The Wallabies, meanwhile, dropped a bombshell omitting muscular winger Marika Koroibete.

Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt used the so-called Giteau Law to lure Koroibete back from Japan for the match, but has opted against including him in his match-day 23.

Australia: Tom Wright; Andrew Kellaway, Len Ikitau, Hunter Paisami, Filipo Daugunu; Noah Lolesio, Jake Gordon; Harry Wilson, Carlo Tizzano, Rob Valetini; Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, Nick Frost; Allan Alaalatoa (captain), Matt Faessler, Isaac Kailea. Substitutes: Josh Nasser, James Slipper, Zane Nonggorr, Jeremy Williams, Luke Reimer, Tate McDermott, Tom Lynagh, Dylan Pietsch.