No easy teams at World Cup: ‘Tonga will be brutal,’ says Bok veteran Trevor Nyakane

Veteran Springbok prop Trevor Nyakane believes that there are no easy teams at the World Cup and that the Boks will have to be at their best in every game if they are to progress as far as possible in the tournament.

Nyakane was being quizzed at a Bok press conference earlier this week about whether his experiences of playing rugby in France will have prepared him better for the tournament being played in the country.

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The Boks are already in what is considered as the “pool of death” in the competition, alongside Ireland and Scotland, but now also have to contend with tricky opponents such as Tonga, who have bolstered their squad with seasoned internationals thanks to the change in World Rugby’s eligibility rules.

“If you ask me when you go into a World Cup there isn’t any easy team there. They have all made it by being on the (World Rugby) rankings, have qualified for the tournament and deserve to be there,” explained Nyakane.

“So people might think that teams like Tonga are in the lower ranks, but playing against them can be very brutal. Players that have managed to play against them will know it is a very tough match.

“When you come across top tier nations they are usually trying to outmanoeuvre each other. But when you come up against teams like Tonga they will just man up physically and even if you do manage to beat them on the day it hurts after.”

Very different

Nyakane also admitted that French rugby was very different from what was perceived of it in the past and that his experiences of it will make sure that he doesn’t underestimate any team that he will face.

“French rugby has evolved and changed (over the years). Back in the day when I used to hear about French rugby it was (supposedly) a slow and physical game that they played. But in my experience it is almost as quick as what Super Rugby used to be,” said Nyakane.

“But the physicality is definitely second to none. So it is a very tough league to play in, and in my experience the teams that are hardest to face are those in the lower half of the table.

“There isn’t any game that you go into thinking it will be easy, because that’s when you take the biggest shots. So in the beginning it was tough but I’ve started to embrace and enjoy it.”

One of the highlights of Nyakane’s past season in French rugby was a superb 40m break he made against Toulon, where he also stepped the fullback and when asked if he would repeat it if given the opportunity in the World Cup he admitted he would be looking for his support.

“I think I will play what I see. But I think when I play with the Springboks guys like Damian (de Allende) and Cheslin (Kolbe) will be there in support. So the moment I break the line I’ll be looking left and right because I know I’ll get caught and I will need to give it to the guys who can then do their thing,” said Nyakane.