Will Evan Roos ever have a place in this Springbok team?
· The South African
Despite boasting a well-deserved reputation as one of the Stormers’ most impactful players, Evan Roos has continued to struggle to nail down a permanent Springbok place.
A string of ill-timed injuries have stalled his momentum at times, and yet physical setbacks tell only half the story.
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For quite some time, Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has hinted that Roos has simply been unable to break through to earning regular game-time due to the fact that the likes of Jasper Wiese and even Kwagga Smith are ahead of him in the pecking order.
Yet, even with Smith facing a serious long-term injury this season, Roos has again been omitted from the latest Springbok squad and has rejoined the Stormers ahead of the All Blacks’ tour to South Africa.
It now seems that Roos has again been leapfrogged by others, such as Cameron Hanekom and perhaps even Elrigh Louw.
Can Evan Roos come back into the Springbok picture?
The fundamental disconnect seems to lie in tactical identity. In John Dobson’s open-phase Stormers system, Roos is granted license to roam in open olay, linking the attack with flair and ball carrying.
Under Erasmus, however, a Springbok No 8 is expected to offer far more grunt, physicality, work ethic and discipline.
On the international stage, his exuberance has frequently manifested in penalties and turnovers, but whatever the case may be, it does seem that he simply isn’t delivering what the Springbok coaches are looking for right now.
Work to do
There is no doubt that after spending time in the Springbok camp earlier this year, Roos will be returning to the Stormers with a clear road map and requirements for him to find a way back to the national team.
“The players released to their franchises will also have an opportunity to face the All Blacks in their respective midweek games if they are selected,” Erasmus insisted. “This will be invaluable for them once we decide on the final squad for RGR (Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series), so we see this as a win-win situation for the team and players.”