Nick Mallett says the decision to field a heavily changed Springbok lineup for the second Test against Wales in Bloemfontein is a very deliberate one to keep players like Evan Roos available for the next two World Cups.
Jacques Nienaber’s decision to overhaul almost the entire Bok starting lineup for the second match of the three-Test series has come in for heavy criticism from the United Kingdom, with former Welsh great Gareth Edwards labelling it ‘disrespectful’, while journalist Matthew Southcombe wrote that it “devalues the Test series”.
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Wales’ coach and captain on Thursday gave a clear indication that they are expecting a tough outing against several inexperienced but ‘in-form’ players.
However, writing in his regular column for Sport24, former Bok coach Mallett pointed out that there may be a deeper reasoning behind why Nienaber and the coaches have decided to field so many uncapped players.
“There is more to this than simply providing opportunity,” wrote Mallett.
“We are incredibly lucky in this country to have a seemingly never-ending conveyor belt of top players produced by our school systems, franchise institutes and unions.
“We are extraordinarily fortunate with the quality of players we have.
“What you desperately don’t want – and I think Jacques and Rassie are very aware of this – is for one of those quality prospects to be disappointed and pursue a career playing for France or Scotland or somebody else.
“I’ll use Evan Roos as an example. At 22, he is still very young, but getting to the age quickly where if he gets blocked from the Springbok set-up time and time again, and it looks like there won’t be opportunities for him, he will have agents in his ear selling him really good positions overseas.
“He could join a French club and, a few years later, qualify to play for France and enjoy a long international career. We have seen that happen before, and a player like Roos is good enough to do it.
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“The Springboks have already had to play against numerous South Africans who have decided to represent another country, and it’s not something we would want to happen to our brightest prospects.
“Capping these players ties them into South Africa for the foreseeable future. You can’t play for another country under the World Rugby laws if you’ve already been capped for your home nation.
“It’s ring-fencing our talent, which I think is very shrewd of Rassie and Jacques. It doesn’t mean a player can’t go play overseas, and we have several Boks who are based abroad, but it keeps them from playing for rival countries.
“What this does is make sure that a player, like Roos, will be around in 2027 and maybe even 2031.”
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