No 8 Jasper Wiese is ready to cement his place in the Springbok lineup in the face of a rising challenge from Evan Roos and Elrigh Louw.

Wiese will start at the back of the scrum in an overhauled Bok team to kick off the 2022 season against Wales at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday.

The 26-year-old takes over from the injured Duane Vermeulen, and will partner skipper Siya Kolisi and blindside flank Franco Mostert in the loose trio.

But, the UK-based Wiese said the performances of Roos and Louw – who is set to make his Test debut off the replacements bench on Saturday – in the 2022 Vodacom United Rugby Championship have forced him to up his game whenever he gets an opportunity in the green and gold.

“You have to evolve as a player if you want to stay ahead of the competition,” said Wiese.

“If you’re going to get stuck in the same spot, you’re going to find it difficult with all the other players emerging, and struggle to stay in the group.

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“I feel I’ve become a better player and I hope I show it on the field. It’s been a tough journey, but you learn a lot from all of the guys that cross your path.”

He added: “Evan and Elrigh are both excellent players. But you want to make that jersey your own. So, it’s really just about trying to do my best for the team.”

Wiese also revealed that a stern chat from the Leicester Tigers and Springbok coaches helped revive his season that threatened to fall flat due to an issue with picking up cards.

“Yeah, that was a very stern talk,” he said. “[Leicester head coach] Steve [Borthwick] is a pretty intense guy, so I very clearly knew where I stood with him. Then the national coaches also communicated to me that if this [his discipline] isn’t something I’m willing to work on, then they can’t select me.

“I realised that this wasn’t just a talk I needed to have with my coaches, but with myself, too.

“You then also come to the realisation that your actions are putting the team in a bad spot. You can’t keep doing stuff like that. I’m very grateful for everyone who helped me get through that period, aligning me to my team’s values better and being a better and more dependable player in general.”

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