Retshegofaditswe Ox Nché

Ox Nché became famous for doing the single least televisual thing in rugby extremely well.

The 2023 World Cup knockout rounds were where the wider public caught up: South Africa’s scrum, with Nché at loosehead, systematically dismantled two of the best packs in the world in consecutive weeks, and won the penalties that decided both matches.

The technique is what makes it repeatable. He is compact, gets under his opponent early, and holds a body position that referees consistently read in his favour — which is the actual skill, because a scrum penalty is a refereeing decision before it is a physical one.

He is also a genuinely willing carrier and better around the field than a specialist scrummager needs to be.

Off it, he has become one of the most likeable figures in South African sport, which has done no harm to a position that usually goes unnoticed. The Springboks pick him because their entire tight-five plan assumes his side holds.