South African Rugby World Cup star Ox Nche has been offered a year’s supply of cake as a reward for his heroics during the Springboks’ stunning comeback against England on Saturday. Jacques Nienaber’s men fought back late to snatch a place in the Rugby World Cup final by the narrowest of margins.
Handre Pollard’s last-gasp penalty sealed a 16-15 victory for South Africa after the white shirts had got off to a strong start. England headed into the break 12-6 up thanks to some excellent kicking from Owen Farrell.
A drop goal from the England skipper gave his side a 15-6 lead with just under 20 minutes to go but a try from RG Snyman followed by Pollard’s conversion brought the deficit down to two points. South Africa’s scrum then dominated as Pollard slotted away a scrum penalty to win the game.
At the heart of those scrums was 251lb prop Nche, who was a contender for Man of the Match. The South African powerhouse is noted for his ridiculous strength and love of food.
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While many players stick to rigorous diets throughout training camp, Nche swaps salad for cake. “Salads do not win scrums. I truly believe that. That’s why Cheslin is on the wing and I’m in the front row,” Nche once famously said. “I don’t count calories, I count slices of cake. I enjoy a chocolate caramel.”
As a show of appreciation for Nche’s stellar display, Woolworths want to supply the Springboks star with a year’s supply of cake. The retailer took to X (formerly Twitter) to extend the offer to Nche. “Dear Ox, please reach out to us for a year’s supply of chocolate cake. After last night, it’s a South African priority,” they wrote.
Nche earned his fair share of plaudits after Saturday’s game. Former South Africa head coach Nick Mallett told SuperSport TV: “He came on 30 minutes late…Ox is the most destructive loosehead in the world – a silent assassin.”
He added: “Our line-outs were poor, we were virtually always second to the loose ball and fumbled numerous kick-offs. Experience and the energy introduced by Ox and the other replacements saved us. Somehow we found a way to win a match we seemed destined to lose.”
Meanwhile, Schalk Burger, a flanker in the 2007 Springbok World Cup-winning team, called Nche “a human wrecking ball who made a massive difference”.
