Nché is far from the finished article. By his own admission, the Springboks prop has just about mastered the basics. He's not bad at the flourishing touches but there is a long way to go in his development. "I'm learning, actually. I can do just one layer," he admits. "And obviously the icing."
Nché is, of course, talking about making cakes. The 17-stone loosehead is obsessed with them. His favourite is chocolate caramel, his mantra is that "salads don't win scrums" and asked the secret to his set-piece prowess he bursts into a bout of infectious laughter before shooting back "cake!"
He was given a year's supply by a supermarket in South Africa after his starring role in helping the Springboks past England in last year's World Cup semi-final and is responsible for the catering whenever there is a birthday in the squad. We are speaking in Jersey - where South Africa chose to hold a training camp - and his eyes light up when he learns the Channel Island is famous for its cream.
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der November 14, 2024-Ausgabe von The Guardian.
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