Once-luckless Nyakane two games from top Euro prize

A smile is seldom a million miles from his face anyway … but a big one flashed unmistakably from popular Springbok front-row stalwart Trevor Nyakane on Sunday evening.

French team Racing 92, whose ranks he only boosted in December, advanced to the last four of the coveted European Rugby Champions Cup with a thumping 41-22 quarterfinal victory over South African-laden Sale Sharks in Paris.

They duly became the third French outfit into the semis, where Nyakane can now anticipate doing battle next Sunday (16:00 SA time) with domestic rivals La Rochelle (Dillyn Leyds and Wiaan Liebenberg among their squad).

The tussle a day earlier, in the same time-slot, will see United Rugby Championship leaders and Irish juggernauts Leinster lock horns with Toulouse, sporting another Springbok in gnarly loose forward Rynhardt Elstadt, bidding for rare repeat glory after his role in their 2020/21 title success.

Nyakane, who turned 33 in the week leading up to Sunday’s clash, was used as an impact player against Sale, getting off the splinters in the 45th minute to help the push toward triumph.

At the same time, he contributed to thwarting Sale’s battery of SA-born customers: the northern England team had started with all of captain Jono Ross, the three Du Preez brothers – Dan, Jean-Luc and Robert – Lood de Jager, Akker van der Merwe and Faf de Klerk.

Just as Nyakane offered fresh legs at tighthead for Racing, hefty co-Bok Coenie Oosthuizen provided similar service in the second half for the beaten visitors.

While he linked up with his French employers at an already well-developed stage of the current European season, few could begrudge the former Bulls favourite this suddenly very appetising stab at the continent’s premier club prize.

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