Ox Nché out of Bok tour, allowing a way back for doping-accused Ntlabakanye

While the Springboks were happy with their performance against Japan at London’s Wembley Stadium on Saturday, they paid a heavy price with a season-ending injury to prop Ox Nché early in the second half.

The great Bok loosehead, who has had a wonderful season demolishing the best tightheads in the game, was hit off the ball by Japan lock Warner Dearns. Nche fell awkwardly and sustained “knee and ankle” damage, according to coach Rassie Erasmus.

It’s a huge blow, with next weekend’s Test against France in Paris looming. The French have a formidable pack, and Nche would have been central to the Bok planning for that match.

With hooker Jan-Hendrik Wessels suspended for eight weeks as well, Erasmus will go into the clash against Les Bleus without two of the six front-rankers he expected to deploy at Stade de France.

Lions prop Asenathi Ntlabakanye, who was in action for the Barbarians in Bedford on Saturday, made the short trip to London to join the Bok touring party as Nche’s replacement.

“We feel for Ox, and we wish him all the best with his injury and recovery,” said Erasmus.

“It’s always tough to lose a player of his calibre, but Asenathi is a capped Springbok and he has been with us for a large part of the season, so he is familiar with our structures and systems.

“Adding to that, he was on our standby list for the tour, so there was always a chance he would be called up if we suffered an injury.

“Fortunately, he was in London already, so he arrived at the team hotel this morning and will be able to slot back into action immediately, which is fantastic for us.”

Cloud

Ntlabakanye is under a doping cloud and is still awaiting a hearing into an alleged doping violation, in which he does appear to be the victim of medical mismanagement.

Earlier this year, he tested positive for traces of a “specified” drug found in his system. Specified drugs are generally non-performance-enhancing and often come with minimal punishment, such as a warning.

But, as Daily Maverick revealed, he was later charged with a doping offence relating to a non-specified, or performance-enhancing drug.

On 9 September, the South African Institute for Drug-Free Sport (Saids) formally charged Ntlabakanye for taking the non-specified (performance-enhancing) drug dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), which he declared on a medical form, sources have confirmed.

According to the United States Anti-Doping Agency (Usada), DHEA can lead to an increase in the body’s levels of androgens, such as testosterone. Androgens are known to have anabolic (muscle-building) effects, and DHEA is considered to have the potential to enhance athletic performance.

Ntlabakanye honestly declared another prescribed drug, used to treat a medical condition, to testers on a form. This drug contains a non-specified (performance-enhancing) ingredient, DHEA.

Following protocol, Ntlabakanye listed the drugs he was on at a routine testing, after clearing the prescription with the endocrinologist he had seen to address his weight issues and another sports doctor.

His sample did not show the DHEA, but he admitted to taking the drug containing it on the advice of doctors.

Unusually, Saids did not provisionally suspend Ntlabakanye, as is the norm for cases involving non-specified drugs, suggesting that the agency believed this was an honest mistake stemming from poor medical guidance.

Ntlabakanye has been playing in the United Rugby Championship for the Lions since Saids made the charges.

As it stands, Ntlabakanye is free to play until the outcome of his hearing, which will only take place in January or February next year.

Shuffling the deck

Erasmus was always going to change the team that met Japan for the big clash against France, but Nche was a nailed-on starter.

He has started seven Tests this year and come off the bench in another. The only Tests he sat out were against Georgia in Nelspruit and against Argentina in Durban.

Edinburgh’s Boan Venter, who is on the tour, started against Argentina and should reprise that role against France this weekend.

Bath’s Thomas du Toit has also joined the Bok squad after missing the Japan clash as it fell outside of the Test window. He has been the preferred starting tighthead this season, but can operate at loosehead too.

“We know what it’s like to play France away from home. The passion, intensity and atmosphere in which you play there is very different,” Erasmus warned.

“I think we have sufficient depth, experience and youth in the team, but it’s a totally different ball game going there.

“It’s a pressure cooker, and it gets to you. We beat them in the [2023] World Cup quarterfinal, but we know how close that match was, so it’s a massive game, and then there’s Ireland ahead as well as Italy and Wales.

“So, although we are building, we need to keep reminding one another about that. We knew what was coming at Eden Park [against New Zealand], and we couldn’t pull it through, so we have to do some intelligent and physical stuff to pull it through next week.”

Erasmus will name his team to face France on Monday, 3 November. DM