Rassie Erasmus has explained his reasoning behind not including Evan Roos in the 54-man Springbok squad selected for the upcoming tests against the Barbarians, Italy, and Georgia.
However, following Cameron Hanemok’s hamstring injury in the URC semi-final against Sharks, the Stormers enforcer has gotten his shot, but he will presumably be fully aware that he was selected in the first place.
If there was ever a moment to prove his spot in Erasmus’ plans, it’s now.
Erasmus on Roos
The Springbok coach made it clear not initially selecting Roos was due to competition rather than his personal feelings towards the player, saying, “At this stage he’s just competing with the best. We all have different opinions on who plays well and who doesn’t. In our opinion, he wasn’t playing as well as the other guys and that’s normally the reason we don’t select guys.
“At this stage, Juarno [Augustus; failed to pass an exit medical at Northhampton Saints ahead of his move to Ulster] and Cameron [Hanekom] are out. Evan was not playing as well as the other guys. That’s not to say he isn’t Springbok level, it’s just that Kwagga Smith, Cameron, Juarno, and Siya [Kolisi] can all play eight,” Erasmus added.
“A guy can be good enough, but there are just two or three guys who we think fit better into what we are trying to do as a Springbok team. Maybe he just doesn’t fit that plan or the other guys are a bit more settled.”
Can Springboks finish 2025 with a 100% record?
Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 0211.
Subscribe to The South African website’s newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
