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Evan Roos has once again been left out of a Springbok team when there appeared to be an opportunity for him to start at No 8 against Georgia.
Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus at a press conference with Evan Roos (right) and Edwill van der Merwe last year. Picture: Gallo Images
Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus was this week once again forced to explain his omission of Evan Roos from a Bok matchday 23, this time to face Georgia in a one-off Test at Mbombela Stadium on Saturday evening.
Roos has had a difficult time in the Springbok setup since making his debut in 2022, only playing eight times and frequently finding himself out in the cold, but Erasmus claimed they still had plans to include the Stormers No 8 in the future.
With Jasper Wiese suspended for the next four games and players such as Elrigh Louw and Ben-Jason Dixon out injured, it seemed like Georgia would be the perfect game to give Roos, a specialist eighthman, a proper run.
Surprise pick
Instead, utility forward Cobus Wiese, who made his Bok debut off the bench at lock against Italy in Gqeberha last weekend, was the surprise pick at No 8 and experienced loose forward Kwagga Smith, who will be covering all three loose forward positions, which Roos can do as well, is included on the bench
That led to the Bok head coach having to defend his decision at this week’s team announcement press conference.
“Evan has picked up eight Test caps now with us. He has trained very well with us, but we also want to make sure of our depth. We have lost Elrigh, Ben-Jason, and Jasper is now out again with a ban. We have given Evan chances and he has been training with us and everyone can see that,” said Erasmus.
“But we also want to see how a guy like Cobus can do there because we feel he has the potential to play there. It is a long season and after four matches the door is not closed for anybody but we would like to see how Cobus does.
“We really have a good feeling about him as another lineout option but Evan is definitely still in the mix, without a doubt.”
Erasmus tried to expand, explaining the amount of depth in the Bok squad and how various players are slotting in to get more game time, but most of the players he mentioned get other chances over the whole season.
Limited game time
This while Roos may only get the 24 minutes he did in the second Italy Test last weekend, as Jean-Luc du Preez started against the Barbarians and Wiese started both Italian Tests, while Smith was on the bench for the first two games.
“We try to mix it up, we never drop somebody in our team. We rotate. I don’t know if people want to believe that or not. But if we get 15 or 20 caps into Evan before the next World Cup cycle and we get 10 or 12 to Cobus Wiese,” Erasmus said.
“We are trying to see how it goes if Jesse (Kriel) is replaced by Canan (Moodie). We don’t really see Jesse as No 1, Canan as No 2 and Ethan (Hooker) as No 3. Lukhanyo (Am) also has to return.
“We would like to know that Canan can move to wing, Ethan can move to wing, Jesse can move to the wing, Sacha (Feinberg-Mngomezulu) can move to 12, or 15, Manie (Libbok) can go to 15 and Handre (Pollard) can go to 12.
“The more we work together the better it is. We see it as guys getting chances, trying out combinations and doing it under pressure. And the more we try out new combinations and guys can swop in and out, we think we will become a better team.”
