Johannesburg - There can be no doubt that the journey through the undulating vale of the international Test season' final destination this year is conquering the peak of the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France and planting the flag of ownership therein.
The Rugby Championship is the immediate wilderness that must be traversed by the Springboks to get to that ultimate goal, and according to Ox Nche, overcoming that undiscovered country will be crucial in building self-belief and confidence as they seek to defend the Webb Ellis Cup.
The Championship will also be extra motivation to impress head coach Jacques Nienaber, who – alongside Rassie Erasmus – will decide who gets to go to France in September.
“You climb a mountain step-by-step”, Nche mused philosophically at the Bok media briefing on Wednesday.
“We must do that now in the Rugby Championship, so that we can build that momentum to the world cup. As much as it is in the back of our minds, we know you must play now to make that squad in the end.
“That is the most important thing for us now – taking these matches step-by-step-and week-by-week, so that when we get to the world cup, we can be ready and face the challenge there.”
The 27-year-old will vie for position amongst the loose-head props against some fine players, including potential interim Springbok captain Steven Kitshoff. Nche revealed that the effort between the front-row is one of collaboration, instead of a cut-throat approach.
Indeed, Nche explained that the propinquity that the Boks enjoy, has helped the evolution of the team to be innate to the process.
“It is not really a competition,” he said of his teammates. "We are here to help each other.
“I’ve watched Steven play for the Stormers and how he pushes them to get better. I enjoy that.
“He is a quality player. He has won a world cup and it is something that I aspire to.
“I see what I must do to be as good as him or to be better. It’s great because you grow as a player naturally.”
The Boks are currently in Pretoria, where they are preparing for the upcoming Championship. The much condensed tournament starts on July 8 in the Capital against Australia at Loftus Versfeld.
The Boks will then play a week later against the All Blacks in New Zealand, and finish off the Championship against Argentina at the end of July.
The first two matches will see two Bok teams, with a New Zealand-bound squad leaving South Africa earlier while the preparation for the Wallaby clash is ongoing. Nche will certainly play in one of those games, possibly both, and where he fits in will surely give an indication as to the role he will play this season and the valleys and peaks that he will have to cross to get there.