Springboks must flatten Wallabies if they are to summit the Rugby Championship mountain, says Ox Nche

It is difficult to picture roly-poly prop Ox Nche scaling mountain peaks but he used a good climbing analogy to describe how the Springboks will go about defending their Rugby Championship title.

The Boks have never won back-to-back Championship titles and begin their defence at Ellis Park on Saturday when they entertain the Wallabies in the first of two Tests in South Africa.

“We have the mentality of a mountain climber,” Nche said. “You don’t climb a mountain by looking up; you climb it step by step. And if we don’t do well in these two Australia Tests, it is not a good start to the climb. If we do well, it will give us confidence, and the way becomes easier.”

Nche, who will win his 42nd cap on Saturday, says the Boks understand that they have to improve this season because the opposition certainly has.

“All the other teams are a year older, their players more experienced. Argentina beat the British and Irish Lions. Australia also beat them, and New Zealand are always up there.

“So the challenge has become bigger. We would not compete in the Rugby Championship if we were not trying to try and win it. We will go all guns blazing to try and win it. We are in a good position in that we still have all of our experience but also a lot of young talent coming through.”

Nche said that the Boks are better off for a recent three-week training camp that the players have described as “torturous.”

Nche would have had none of his favourite confectionery as fitness expert Andy Edwards cracked the whip to get the Boks fitter than ever.

“The aim is for us to be better than we were last year. As much as we wanted to do well in the incoming series (against Italy and Georgia), and as much as the scoreboard matters, we also had boxes that we wanted to tick as we focus on longer-term goals.

“In the conditioning camp, we hammered away at our fitness, and an area of weakness that Italy exposed — the breakdown. They were very good, so the breakdown has been a big focus for us.

“With the conditioning, it is about everyone being comfortable and confident that we can play at a high intensity at altitude.”

Last year, the Boks beat the Wallabies twice in Australia, but Nche points out that the Aussies have come a long way since then.

“We saw in the last two Lions Tests how they started to gel together,” Nche said. “They will be looking forward to this Test. They will be up for it. They are now in a position to try and get the little pieces right and get more cohesion.

“They have improved hugely,” Nche added. “They have a nice balance of good, new combinations and players who have played for them for a while.”

In Nche’s area of expertise, the scrum, he says the Wallabies have moved on from a team that avoided the scrum to relishing it.

"They are coming together nicely in the scrums. Their lineout was also good against the Lions — they win most of their ball and compete well. They have got the right combinations together.”

Nche’s direct opponent will be Tonga-born Taniela Tupou, the formidable 148kg giant.

“When we still played Super Rugby, I scrummed against Tupou (who was with the Queensland Reds), and also at international level. He is an explosive guy. He knows how to scrum. We just have to be well prepared.

“The Wallabies, in general, have become more confrontational compared to previous seasons. They seem to be more fired up. I think they will take the game to us.

“They will feel that if they can match us at their set piece, they can impose the game that they are good at (expansive rugby). They will be more up for this game than ever.”