Du Toit steps in for Nché as Louw returns to Bok team

Ox Nché is out of Saturday’s Test against Wales in Cardiff.

Rassie Erasmus named Nché in the starting XV on Tuesday but the head coach has opted to rest the burly loosehead for the team’s last Test of the year.

Wilco Louw returns to the starting team at tighthead, while Thomas du Toit shifts to loosehead, the spot Nché vacated.

Nché started last week’s Test against England in London and against Scotland in Edinburgh, but Erasmus and his coaching team decided it would be best for him to rest this weekend.

Nché left the field in the 33rd minute with a gash to his right knee on Saturday but has recovered from the knock.

Louw played his 15th Test for the Boks last week after last featuring in the green and gold in 2021, and his inclusion in the starting line-up will see him play his second match in a row on the tour.

“Ox has been a key player for us this season and given his high work rate over the past few months we opted to rest him for this clash,” Erasmus said.

Nché has had quite a workload this year and should perhaps have secured his break before this week’s team was announced. He has played in 11 of the Boks’ 12 Tests thus far this year, missing only the clash against Portugal in Bloemfontein as a result of squad rotation.

It means Louw gets another crack in the starting team though it requires the shifting of some heavy deck chairs.

“Wilco started last week’s match and he’s been training well this week, so it makes sense to include him in the starting team and move Thomas to loosehead prop. It also maintains the consistency we have in the front row among the replacements,” Erasmus said.

The Bok coach also revealed that four players who were not included in the match day squad would return home on Wednesday to spend time with their families before returning to their respective clubs and franchises.

Utility forward Pieter-Steph du Toit, who is nursing a shoulder niggle, returned home on Monday, while the other four players heading home are loose forward Kwagga Smith, centres Lukhanyo Am and André Esterhuizen, and wing Makazole Mapimpi.

“We gave a few players who are not playing the option to remain in camp or return home to spend quality time with their families, while ensuring we have enough depth in the squad to cover all the positions in case we suffer injuries before the match,” Erasmus said.

“So, we are confident we are well covered in the event anything should happen before the game.”