‘I’m excited to be back’: Trevor Nyakane returns to Bloem with Boks

Springbok prop Trevor Nyakane is happy to be back where it all started for him, as he prepares for the second Test against Wales at Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein on Saturday.

Nyakane spent his early professional rugby years in Bloemfontein, playing for the Central University of Technology Ixias, before joining up with the Cheetahs where he established himself. He then moved onto the Bulls and then Racing 92 in France where he currently plays.

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He will be aiming to put in a big performance in his former backyard and will be eager to help the front row try and get dominance over the Welsh pack.

“This is where I started playing professional rugby, so I am excited to be back and looking forward to the coming weekend,” said Nyakane.

“I spent some time playing for CUT and spent seven years here in Bloemfontein. I have many fond memories of this place. I won some junior rugby trophies here with the Cheetahs, so it’s a great place for to come to and an awesome place for us to be.”

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One of the things the Boks need to be prepared for is Wales trying to get under their skin, as they did in the first match in Pretoria, but Nyakane claims that isn’t a problem for them and they will just be looking to do what they do best.

“I think most teams try to do that when it comes to us. You can fight fire with fire but you must also be smart,” Nyakane said.

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“You don’t want to be sent off the field for saying something ridiculous or doing something that’s not worthy of the Springbok colours,” he added.

“So for us it’s going to be tough. We know they’re going to try their best to do that, but the only way we know how to do things is to be silent bullies and that’s what we are going to do.

“We want to inflict pain, we want to inflict our physicality on them. So if they are going to be talking or whatever we will let them do what they do best and we will do what we do best.”