Trevor Nyakane always dreamed of playing in the Rugby World Cup and when he made the Springbok team, he vowed that he would play in at least one tournament.
Never in his wildest dreams, did he think he would run out in three, with the versatile Bok prop ready to play his part when the reigning champions start the defence of their title against Scotland in Marseille on Sunday (kick-off 5.45pm).
The 34-year-old front-ranker played in 2015 under Heyneke Meyer and in 2019 under Rassie Erasmus.
Double disappointment
Both ended on a tough note for Nyakane.
In 2015, South Africa were knocked out by New Zealand in the semi-finals.
During the 2019 edition in Japan, Nyakane tore a calf muscle in the opening game against the All Blacks and had to be withdrawn.
“It was sad for me when I got injured and had to leave (Japan),” Nyakane said.
“But when I got home, I tried to see the positive in it in that my daughter was only born two weeks prior to that, so that kept me sane.
“I am blessed and fortunate to have this opportunity again, and this year, the person I went home to can watch her dad play in a World Cup.
“I can’t wait to get out there and showcase what we are capable of.”
Nyakane was selected as part of a six-two bench split for Sunday’s clash, and will have to provide the fuel along with the rest of the Bomb Squad when they are called upon.
Perfect impact
They made the perfect impact in the final World Cup warm-up match against New Zealand in London, after the starting front row scrummed the Kiwis into submission.
Nyakane, hooker Bongi Mbonambi and loosehead prop Ox Nche kept the fire in the Bok engine burning and will hope to provide the same impact this weekend.
“As a team and a pack, we want to be dominant in all facets of the game but one of the key elements is to plant the seed in the scrum. That said, they have a very good pack and they’ll be well-prepared for us.
“At a tournament like this, everyone is well prepared, so we’ll do our homework on their pack and see how we can impose our physicality on them.“
The Racing 92 player, who can pack down on either side of the hooker, is one of a handful of Boks who will be playing in their third tournament.
“It’s really special,” Nyakane said about his third World Cup.
“When I started playing professional rugby and playing for the Boks, I always said to my friends, ‘Just one World Cup would mean everything’. But once you get the taste of it, you just want to keep going. With this being my third World Cup, it’s fantastic. In my wildest dreams, I would not have thought that I’d make it to three.”