Ox Nche becomes human cannonball to smash 110kg Ireland international
The last thing Leinster and Ireland flanker Max Deegan would have seen in the corner of his eye when he passed to his hooker Dan Sheehan on Saturday was Ox Nche’s 114kg frame hurtling towards him.
Deegan got the pass away, but by then it was too late, the South Africa and Sharks loosehead had already committed to the tackle, and he made sure he connected. Nche smashed the 26-year-old almost five metres in a covering tackle, in which Deegan was able to get straight back to his feet from fortunately.
Take a look at the hit:
He’s feeling that tomorrow🤕 @oxnche #LEIvSHA | @Vodacom #URC | #UnitedWeRise pic.twitter.com/XwLxlu9Onu
— vodacomrugby (@VodacomRugga) May 6, 2023
Deegan was able to brush the hit off, and was actually going over for his own try a few minutes later as Leinster comfortably won 35-5 at the Aviva Stadium. They will now play Munster on Saturday in the URC semi-final before playing La Rochelle in the Heineken Champions Cup final, both at the Aviva Stadium.
With only the Stormers remaining in the URC from South Africa, plenty of players from the Sharks and Bulls have been included in a 15-man squad that will attend a Springboks training camp later this month. Nche has been included in that squad. That is before the start of the Rugby Championship in July, and the World Cup which will follow soon after that.
Players invited to Springbok camps (in alphabetical order):
Lukhanyo Am (Cell C Sharks), Kurt-Lee Arendse (Vodacom Bulls), Pieter-Steph du Toit (Toyota Verblitz), Thomas du Toit, Eben Etzebeth, Jaden Hendrikse, Siya Kolisi (all Cell C Sharks), Willie le Roux (Toyota Verblitz), Makazole Mapimpi, Bongi Mbonambi (both Cell C Sharks), Canan Moodie (Vodacom Bulls), Ox Nche (Cell C Sharks), Kwagga Smith (Shizuoka Blue Revs), Marco van Staden (Vodacom Bulls), Grant Williams (Cell C Sharks).
