Prop Nyakane – key man for Boks
VERSATILE Bulls prop Trevor Nyakane has been praised by Springbok scrum coach Matt Proudfoot ahead of Saturday’s showdown against Argentina at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.
Nyakane, who can cover both sides of the scrum, is a vital asset for the Springboks, who are desperate to get their Rugby Championship campaign off to a winning start in Port Elizabeth.
Proudfoot has been impressed by both the work ethic and the form of the powerhouse front rower.
“Trevor is a quality player,” he said.
“The one thing about Trevor is that he is a competitor.
“If you look at the shape he is in, we are very pleased about that.
“Head coach Allister Coetzee set some very high goals for the players and Trevor has accomplished them.
“That says a lot about his motivation. When a player is motivated, it is [an asset] that gives him confidence and an edge. “I feel Trevor has that edge. “It is important for me to coach him in what he is going to be confronted with and to give him that confidence he might not have had from a lot of game time.
“I am really happy for him and that he is back. When you travel in a Super Rugby franchise you can only take five props, so one of those guys has to be swinger.
“We looked to develop that last year and Vincent Koch was what Trevor is now.
“If you rock up in Salta [in Argentina] and on Friday morning one of your props is sick, that guy has to come in and do that job.
“You can’t then fly a guy around the world to play a game on that day.
“[You need] that skill set in the team.
“We went through a good scrummaging session in which Trevor worked on the tighthead side and I was really happy with it.
“We will do two more sessions this week about serving both sides.
“There will be some work that will be done with him at left-hand side as well,” Proudfoot said.
He said the coaching staff were pleased with the results and effort of the first training week.
The squad was benefiting from spending an extra week in camp.
“The players have been fantastic all week long during training and the coaches are really proud of the way they have prepared, and their excellent effort so far,” he said.
“It is fantastic to see how well the players get along with each other, taking into account that they’ve just come out of a tough Super Rugby season and it makes it so rewarding.
“We are well aware of the Pumas’ strong points and have done a lot of preparation.”