WP respects kid Bamba but insists: ‘It is time’
WP
Nel will have Demba Bamba in his sights on Saturday.
Scotland take on France in Nice in the first World Cup warm-up fixture for both of the Six Nations rivals.
And Bamba is a big player for Les Bleus – in several senses of the word.
A tighthead prop, he’s the anchor of the French scrum and – let’s be honest – he’s perfectly built for the role.
Still just 21, he stands 6’ 1” in his socks, and weighs in at a fearsome 19-and-a-half stone.
However, Bamba’s callow years bring a certain hotheadedness with them and, while as a fellow tighthead Nel won’t line up in direct opposition to him, he’s ready to use his front-row wisdom to wind up the French tyro.
“I was injured the last time we played them, but I have watched him,” says 33-year-old Nel.
“What can you say? He is a big man, and he is going to bring a lot to the game. But there are certain areas where we can challenge him as well.
“That is where you, as a player, grow – to find the edges, the weaknesses of the other guy.
“There are edges you can test him on, so let’s see.
“We can challenge him, but it is the pack as a whole, not just one individual, that will bring challenges for us.
“He’s big, but the bigger they are, the harder they come to the ground. “They will always being a challenge, and that will always be good for us, especially with what is round the corner.
“You know what France are going to bring. They have a big pack and want to go to the set phase.
“It is a hard pack. We will be looking at that from Monday, but we know already what they are going to bring to us as a challenge.
“We need to challenge the best. What they can bring to the game as a pack is the best, so we’ll see where we are.”
South Africa-born Nel qualified for Scotland just ahead of the 2015 World Cup and, when fit, has been a fixture in the No.3 jersey ever since.
So he knows the pressure the uncapped members of Gregor Townsend’s training squad – the likes of Blade Thomson, Scott Cummings and Rory Hutchinson – are under.
They’re new to the international scene, but in with a shout of playing on Test rugby’s greatest stage.
But Nel insists: “Everyone knows where they stand, and that everyone will get the opportunity to show what they can bring to the game.
“I don’t think they’re in a no-man’s-land, everyone knows what they can bring to the game.”
For his part, the Edinburgh prop is desperate to play, admitting: “I am fed up with training now. It is time for games to come. It is time.
“I must say this preseason was nice. There was an element that was tough, but you see the results from training and it is quite significant.
“From my side, the preseason went well. You feel good about yourself.”