'Salads don't win scrums' Nché is icing on the Boks' front-row cake
The Guardian|November 14, 2024
A member of South Africa's 'Bomb Squad', loosehead was crucial to World Cup win in 2023 and is a hero back home
Gerard Meagher
'Salads don't win scrums' Nché is icing on the Boks' front-row cake

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.

Esta historia es de la edición November 14, 2024 de The Guardian.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

Esta historia es de la edición November 14, 2024 de The Guardian.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

MÁS HISTORIAS DE THE GUARDIANVer todo
Kohli's Century Seals Dominant Day For India
The Guardian

Kohli's Century Seals Dominant Day For India

Former captain and Jaiswal pile up runs before Bumrah puts Australia on the brink

time-read
3 minutos  |
November 25, 2024
Republican Senator Vows Trump Picks Will Face 'Lots Of Questions'
The Guardian

Republican Senator Vows Trump Picks Will Face 'Lots Of Questions'

A prominent Republican US senator vowed yesterday that Congress would not give blanket approval to Donald Trump's cabinet nominees before the congressional confirmation process, as a leading Democrat challenged the qualifications of some to serve.

time-read
2 minutos  |
November 25, 2024
Young People Who Refuse To Work Will Lose Benefits, Kendall Warns
The Guardian

Young People Who Refuse To Work Will Lose Benefits, Kendall Warns

Young people who refuse to take up jobs or training will lose their benefits in the government's crackdown on worklessness, the work and pensions secretary, Liz Kendall, has said.

time-read
1 min  |
November 25, 2024
Keep pledge on Britons held abroad, Lammy told
The Guardian

Keep pledge on Britons held abroad, Lammy told

Families of prominent British prisoners detained abroad have urged the foreign secretary to deliver on pledges to help secure their release amid signs of growing resistance from diplomats.

time-read
4 minutos  |
November 25, 2024
Online brutality How grim genre is affecting young people
The Guardian

Online brutality How grim genre is affecting young people

It took about 90 seconds for Rianna Montaque to see violence on her X account: a fight in a restaurant that escalated into a full-on brawl with chairs smashed over heads as bodies went sprawling.

time-read
1 min  |
November 25, 2024
Sleightholme soars as England end series on high
The Guardian

Sleightholme soars as England end series on high

A disappointing calendar year for England has at least ended with a flurry of nine tries and a healthier looking outcome.

time-read
3 minutos  |
November 25, 2024
'We are going to suffer' Amorim warns United after fast start fizzles out
The Guardian

'We are going to suffer' Amorim warns United after fast start fizzles out

Ruben Amorim said Manchester United will have to \"suffer for a long period\" before their fortunes turn after his first game in charge ended in a disappointing 1-1 draw at Ipswich.

time-read
1 min  |
November 25, 2024
Leicester sack Cooper after five months in charge
The Guardian

Leicester sack Cooper after five months in charge

Leicester City sacked Steve Cooper as manager yesterday after just five months in charge.

time-read
1 min  |
November 25, 2024
Guardiola admits he must 'find a way' to win again
The Guardian

Guardiola admits he must 'find a way' to win again

Pep Guardiola is defiant that he will end Manchester City's five-match losing sequence, with the manager stating it is \"my responsibility\" to do so.

time-read
1 min  |
November 25, 2024
This joyless incoherence will utterly destroy any illusions
The Guardian

This joyless incoherence will utterly destroy any illusions

Amorim already knows the scale of the job. And the scale is: really very big indeed

time-read
3 minutos  |
November 25, 2024