Roos ready to tear it up

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DHL Stormers coach John Dobson is picking his No 8 Evan Roos to make a statement in the defending champions’ Vodacom United Rugby Championship opener against Connacht in Stellenbosch on Saturday.

“Evan is champing to get going. He had an incredible 2021-22 season, which resulted in Springboks Test selection and I know he is amped to put in a performance to make a statement that he will be even better this season,” said Dobson.

“He got a taste of international rugby. He wants more and he knows that the Vodacom URC is his stage to make his on-field statements, individually and most pertinently to the collective of the DHL Stormers,” Dobson added.

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Roos was the posterboy for the inaugural URC, his rampaging carries and dynamic support play dominating the league’s weekly highlights.

A Paarl Boys’ High prodigy, Roos left Cape Town for the Cell C Sharks after matriculating but was back in Cape Town in 2020.

His skill set meshed perfectly with the DHL Stormers script and he flourished in a team of gamebreakers.

Partnered with speedster Hacjivah Dayimani and breakdown specialist Deon Fourie, Roos starred in a tenacious back row that pressured rivals in attack and defence, combining skill with speed and a high work rate.

The Stormers recovered from a slow start to win 12 of 18 league matches, scalping Edinburgh, Ulster and the Vodacom Bulls in the playoffs to cap an 11-match win streak with an 18-13 victory in the Cape Town Grand Final.

Roos led the charge and the 22-year-old was rewarded when it came time to dish out league accolades, named the Vodacom United Rugby Championship Player of the Season, Players’ Player of the Season, Fans’ Player of the Season, Next-Gen Player of the Season and he earned a place in the Vodacom URC Dream Team.

MORE: Dobbo’s Diary: From chasing the crown to wearing the crown

In winning Player of the Season, Roos beat off challenges from Bulls captain Marcell Coetzee and his teammate Ruan Nortje, Lukhanyo Am (Sharks), Vincent Tshituka (Lions) and Warrick Gelant, another key member of the Stormers championship-winning side.

This was just reward for a player who topped the competition statistics for offloads, carries made and tackles broken, while finishing fourth for metres gained, the highest-placed forward.

He also made a lasting impression when he scored a remarkable try in the final, surging headlong through some of the meatiest Bulls to score.

The explosive No 8 will be central to the defending champions’ quest to repeat. A pillar of strength up front, Roos combines traditional South African aggression with levels of athleticism more common to a pack from one of the Pacific Island nations. He is a unique talent, rapid and gruff.

While these traits elevated Roos into the national team, the ambitious No 8 will not be content with his first and only Test cap to date – a 46-minute cameo in a Springbok home loss against Wales in July.

For the Stormers faithful, Roos is not only the perfect option at the back of the scrum and lineout, but also the man to power up the Bok pack at the 2023 Rugby World Cup.

Roos will get his legs churning on Saturday to convert the few who may still doubt his world-class qualities.

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Photo: Twitter/@theStormers

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Zelim Nel