Evan Roos has been given a big vote of confidence from a man who knows a Springbok No 8 when he sees one. DYLAN JACK reports.
Despite his rampaging performances for the Stormers this season, Roos initially appeared to have been left out of the Springbok plans as he was not invited to the first of the three alignment camps, during which the coaches laid out the plans for the upcoming Test campaign.
However, an eye-catching performance against the Glasgow Warriors in April, when he scored a try in the final minute of play to secure the Stormers a bonus point, won Roos his place in the second Bok camp. Rassie Erasmus even showered praise on the talented loose forward for his efforts against Glasgow.
Speaking during a URC media conference, former Stormers and Springbok loose forward Skinstad, who has kept a close eye on Roos in his role as a commentator for Premier Sports, was asked whether the 22-year-old would fit into international rugby.
“We watch Evan Roos week in and week out. We are constantly going: ‘Jeepers, how strong is he!’,” said Skinstad. “He just gets those extra three or four metres and then sometimes a little offload which creates the gap. Once you are in behind the opposition’s gainline, then you can break it open.
“Evan Roos fits into that [Stormers] pack perfectly. He has been well positioned by John Dobson and Rito Hlungwani as a ball-carrier in the wider channels. He is an amazing finisher when he has five or six metres to go. He is hard to stop, he proved that in the last two games.
“I think, for the Springboks, he would be an asset. I am not sure if he can suddenly start in that position because they have had amazing loose-forward success over the last couple of years. I would imagine, that if he is in and around the squad, coming off the bench, he would want to impact the team and it would be good for everybody involved.”
Having finished second in the URC while playing eye-catching rugby, this Stormers team has been compared to the ‘Men in Black’ of the 1999 Super Rugby campaign.
Skinstad was part of that team, which also finished second on the table and progressed to the semi-finals, where they were beaten by the Highlanders at Newlands.
“They are playing as good as, if not better, and the players are bigger and stronger than we were,” said Skinstad, when asked for his thoughts on the current Stormers team. “I have been delighted to watch the Stormers play. That counter-attacking rugby … they are trying to score as many points as they can. They are trying to win by having more tries as opposed to squeezing out opposition. That makes for exciting games.
“Leolin Zas has the most tries this season, but he has been an amazing finisher off the back of good breaks from the guys inside him. They have got a big, strong backline and they use their creativity. But the beauty for me is the link between carrying forwards like Evan Roos.
“They’ve got finishers inside and out. Not taking anything away from guys like Ruhan Nel.
“I am seriously excited about them as a team. The way they are playing, I think it’s good for the tournament.”
The Capetonians take on Edinburgh in the quarter-final stage of the URC in Cape Town on Saturday, with Skinstad saying the hosts need to stick to the gameplan which has served them so well this season.
“I think the Stormers will be nervous. They will be preparing for an onslaught from Edinburgh, who have stood up in a couple of really difficult games this season and put in performances.
“The Stormers will have to expect that. They will have to play the game that they have found most successful. If they try to change their plan and start conceding to Edinburgh, it will be a big, crunch battle up front and if they don’t play their wide-open game, then they will be in trouble.
“If the Stormers play 10 out of 10 and Edinburgh play 10 out of 10, then the Stormers will edge it at home.”
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