Comment by Morgan Bolton
World Rugby can do the funniest thing in Monaco on Sunday night – they shouldn’t – but they can, if they choose Caelan Doris as their 2024 Men’s Player of the Year.
I think it is fair to say that there will be a collective meltdown in South Africa if the Ireland loose forward wins the prestigious honour by beating the other three nominees – Springbok lock Eben Etzebeth and his teammates, loose forward Pieter-Steph du Toit and wing Cheslin Kolbe.
The award, you’ll have noticed, has a heavy South African influence, and there is no doubt in my mind that a Bok should pick up the stylised rugby-ball-cum-W designed trophy.
The perception in these parts – perhaps a bit hysterical, perhaps most sincere, and perhaps even with a bit of truth behind it – is that World Rugby just doesn’t smaak South Africa, and choosing Doris before the other nominees will certainly only enforce that dogma.
Twenty-two Springboks have been nominated for the awards since their inception in 2001, which also includes the multiple nominations of Etzebeth (thrice), and Fourie du Preez, Du Toit, Bryan Habana, Kolbe and Victor Matfield – all nominated twice.
Nonetheless, only three have managed to walk away as officially the best men’s player in the world.
That short list includes Schalk Burger (2004), Habana (2007) and most recently Du Toit in 2019.
Many will argue that Etzebeth should have been on that honour roll as well.
He was undoubtedly the best player in rugby last year, helping the Boks to back-to-back World Cup titles, a Rugby Championship, and an overall record of 11 wins from 13 Test, only to be snubbed by the global body for the All Blacks’ Ardie Savea.
There’s that conspiracy theorist in me, all right...
Yet, the greatest disservice World Rugby continue to administer is not the serious lack of Boks on their winner’s list, but the fact that no prop has ever won the award.
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In fact, not once has a prop even been nominated.
Moreover, only one front-rower – Ireland hooker Keith Wood in 2001 – can boast that he won.
It seems terribly daft that there would be such a gaping hole in the register, especially after a handful of seasons where the Dublin-based body could have easily rectified the omission by simply acknowledging Ox Nche.
The loosehead prop is without a doubt one of the best scrummagers – if not the best scrummager – in the world right now.
Time and time again we have watched the 29-year-old dominate the set-piece, winning penalties, boosting team confidence while obliterating the opposition’s morale with beauty, power and precision.
Statistics will tell you that Habana scored 67 tries for SA and that Handré Pollard has accumulated the second most points for the country (772).
It will reveal that last Saturday against England, the Boks arrived at almost half of their rucks within three seconds, and that skipper Siya Kolisi affected 14 tackles during the game.
But nowhere will it dare quantify the impact on the game, the momentum or the scoreboard pressure created by Nche and his fellow props.
Much like the perceived notion that World Rugby hate seeing SA prosper, it also seems that they hate the scrum and all the nuances associated with it.
The scrum is a beautiful thing, fundamental to the game, and Nche is currently its greatest conductor.
Squad update: #Springboks coach Rassie Erasmus decided to rest prop Ox Nche for Saturday’s Test against Wales in Cardiff, which means Wilco Louw will start at tighthead, while Thomas du Toit will move to loosehead 😤#ForeverGreenForeverGold
— Springboks (@Springboks) November 20, 2024
He deserved to be on the 2024 list alongside his teammates and Doris.
Regarding who should win the award on Sunday, you need not look further than Bok legend Matfield’s assessment earlier this year.
“I think Pieter-Steph is standing out,” he said.