Nyakane excited about big set-piece battle when Boks, French clash

The Springboks’ Rugby World Cup quarter-final date with hosts France on Sunday evening in Paris will include many intricate battles as the sides have similar traits.

One of the battles that will be worth watching will be among the forward packs. Both nations pride themselves on how strong their set-piece is, which is the platform for many of the attacking moves and for the exciting back divisions.

The French have, like the Boks, centred their game around a strong set-piece in recent years, and someone who may know their set-piece play well is Springboks prop Trevor Nyakane, who plies his rugby trade for Top 14 side Racing 92.

‘Mental boost’

Nyakane, who can play as a tighthead and loosehead prop, shared light on why the French pay so much attention to their set-piece game.

“It’s a very important facet in the game in France and in the Top 14 competition,” said Nyakane.

“They put a lot of emphasis on that area of the game. If you get it right, it’s a beautiful thing and it gives you a mental boost.”

The Boks pack is full of world-class talent; when they are in full swing they can be unplayable and even though Fabian Galthie’s side will give them a tough test, Nyakane is confident the world champions will be able to deal with their set-piece treat.

‘Excited to be here’

“France will certainly have a difficult set-piece to move, but we also pride ourselves on our set-pieces and gaining dominance from that. We’ve been working hard on our set-pieces, and there’s a lot more to do, but we are looking forward to the challenge,” he said.

The 34-year-old veteran is playing in his third World Cup, which could be his last. With the tournament at the knockout stages, Nyakane wants to ride the wave until the final on October 28.

”I’m very pleased and excited to be here, and I can’t wait for the next few weeks of rugby. We’ve been working as hard as we can to achieve our goals, and hopefully, we can continue to do so,” said the former Bulls prop.