The Springbok coach is in the enviable position of having a deep core of stalwarts as well as a slew of youngsters who are all pushing for places in the national squad.
The standout performers in the inaugural United Rugby Championship have a golden opportunity to impress Springbok selectors as the tournament moves to the business stage.After holding a national alignment camp with local players of interest in early April, coach Jacques Nienaber and his lieutenants have had digital meetings with senior Boks based in Europe and Japan.
Many in the South African rugby community, however, believe that form should count for something, and that Roos and Elrigh Louw deserve to be rewarded for their physical displays in the URC. Evan Roos of the Stormers during the United Rugby Championship match between DHL Stormers and Ospreys at DHL Stadium on 2 April 2022 in Cape Town, South Africa. The competition for places in the national squad is fierce and – as Nienaber himself has explained – loose-forward places are limited. Only five loose forwards will travel with the squad of 32 to the 2023 World Cup.
The upshot is that Roos and less experienced players will have to fight for their opportunities at the highest level over the next two seasons. As a result, other players – previously on the bench or even outside the regular squad – received the chance to stake their claim. Herschel Jantjies of South Africa during the 2021 Castle Lager Outgoing Tour match between England and South Africa at Twickenham Stadium on 20 November 2021 in London, England.
The World Cup winner may have the chance to address these shortcomings over the coming weeks. If Jantjies delivers a polished showing for the Stormers in the URC playoffs, he may convince the national selectors that he deserves further investment as one of the Boks’ regular scrum halves – along with Faf de Klerk, who has looked sharp for Sale Sharks in the English Premiership and Champions Cup.
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