THE stop-start nature of his Springbok career is hopefully something of the past, and Evan Roos is looking forward to another start in the No 8 jersey for the national side.
Roos, 24, will feature in an exciting loose trio with World Cup stars Kwagga Smith and captain Pieter-Steph du Toit for Saturday’s season-opener at Twickenham against Wales.
The duel in London (3pm SA time start) will be Roos’ fourth cap after his last one against England in 2022, before a rib injury and a knee problem kept him out – and he just missed out on selection for the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France.
With veteran Duane Vermeulen retiring after winning a second Webb Ellis Cup and incumbent Jasper Wiese banned for the next couple of weeks, the Stormers loose forward has an opportunity to stake a claim for the No 8 jumper, and will be ready to grab it this weekend.
“In that England match I broke a rib, and a few weeks later I did my knee, so it’s sort of been a bumpy stop-start,” Roos recalled this week about his first involvement with the Boks.
“But I just kept at it. I was fortunate enough to be part of the squad that prepared for the World Cup last year, and it helped me immensely with the season that just passed.
“It is always special whenever I get the chance, and I am excited for another opportunity.
“I’ll be playing with a bunch of Rugby World Cup winners in the pack, which makes my job much easier.
Evan Roos shredding waves 💪🌊#BKTURC #URC | #STOvLIO pic.twitter.com/fUuNaUa9NW
— BKT United Rugby Championship (URC) (@URCOfficial) June 3, 2024
“I’ve known these guys for about three years, and it certainly gets more comfortable each time I’m in camp.
“We want to build on what the team has done in the last six years, so there’s a massive responsibility on us to start with a bang this weekend.”
He is back in the No 8 jersey where he first made a name for himself after starting as an openside flank for the Stormers in the last handful of matches in the United Rugby Championship.
It’s a move that Roos says helped his game considerably, and it’s been showing in the URC.
He’s been excellent with his ball-carrying into contact, he gets around the field, and his defensive work-rate – even at the rucks – has been good.
He will be hopeful that form can translate onto the field at international level.
Evan Roos was carrying like a man possessed against Connacht 😤 pic.twitter.com/AHwBxOqSwP
— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) May 20, 2024
Roos said that the Boks are expecting a tough grind against the Welsh, but want to make it a special debut for starters Jordan Hendrikse (flyhalf) and Edwill van der Merwe (wing), as well as utility forward Ben-Jason Dixon and utility back Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu on the bench.
“They are a lot like us South Africans. They are hard-working and humble people, so we expect them to give everything for the full 80 minutes,” Roos said of Wales.
“Much like us, they are willing to go to dark places, so we anticipate a hard grind up front. They are a physical pack, so I think it’s going to be a proper Test match this weekend.
“It’s an important game, so it will be vital to implement what we’ve been working on at training.”