Ox Nche injury concern for Boks at loosehead ahead of Wallabies Test

SA Rugby director of rugby Rassie Erasmus admitted that feisty loosehead prop Retshegofaditswe "Ox" Nche is an injury concern, despite being named in the match-day 23 for Saturday's Test against Australia at Loftus Versfeld.

Nche, who has come on in leaps and bounds to a point where the Boks hardly have issues in the number one jersey, took a knock to his pectoral muscle at Tuesday's training session at Loftus' B-field.

Erasmus opened up about the concern surrounding Nche's injury, even though he is a big believer of Nche's powers of recovery.

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"If Ox is a serious one, which I think it may be, because I have a gut feeling it is - he's not the kind of guy who wouldn't finish a training session - it would be a big loss," Erasmus said on Tuesday.

"He's really come into his own in the last year and the way he's contributed - and not just on the field, but in other areas off the field - has been excellent.

"He's pushed guys like Steven Kitshoff very hard, even though we have guys who can play both sides of the scrum like Thomas du Toit, Trevor Nyakane and Vincent Koch.

"If we lose Ox for a long time, it won't be nice. I hope it’s not serious because he's a vital player for us."

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Erasmus said Kitshoff would move into the starting loosehead role should Nche not shake off his recently acquired impingement.

"We'll find out later this afternoon in terms of the seriousness, but we're keeping some flights for Tuesday and Wednesday depending on the team's readiness for Australia," Erasmus said.

"With the team being in doubt, Kitsy will stay behind until we have 100 percent clearance with the pectoral