Springboks assistant coach Duane Vermeulen believes Stormers powerhouse Evan Roos is just a few tactical adjustments away from reaching true Springbok No. 8 excellence.
Speaking ahead of South Africa's highly anticipated Nations Championship clash against Scotland, Vermeulen backed the dynamic loose forward to make a massive impact. However, the Bok legend noted that Roos must adapt his naturally free-flowing game to meet the rigid, uncompromising demands of international rugby.
Despite the technical adjustments required, the Springbok camp remains highly enthusiastic about Roos' immense physical carrying ability and explosive work rate. The upcoming Test against Scotland offers the perfect stage for the Stormers star to prove he can anchor the green and gold scrum for years to come.
With Wiese setting a high bar, the coaching staff views this match as a crucial testing ground for squad depth at the back of the scrum.
“First of all, Jasper Wiese is proving to be a real stalwart in our team,” Vermeulen said. “He is one of the guys who gives us a great advantage in getting over the gain line and giving us those front-foot carries. He is a massive asset to the squad.”
“If you look at Evan playing for the Stormers, he is their big go-to guy, so hopefully he can step into that role and also give us good go-forward as Wiese has been doing. His energy on the pitch is massive, so we look forward to seeing a lot of that.”
“We want to give everyone in the squad a chance to play, and this week it is Evan Roos’ opportunity to put up his hand and say, ‘Listen, I am also here.’ This is a good game for Evan to show his worth and the impact he can have on the game.”
Vermeulen explained that while Roos thrives in the open-field systems of the United Rugby Championship (URC), international rugby dictates a far more disciplined framework. Transitioning directly from a franchise system that encourages loose play into the strict Springbok blueprint requires immense mental adaptability.
“Evan is a fantastic player; he has a lot of energy, and you can see what he does for the Stormers, but there is a difference between the URC and Test match rugby. Hopefully we can get him there, and he can produce the goods that we are looking for.”
“The intensity of Test rugby is much higher than the URC or club level. With the Boks, there is a specific way of playing, and with the Stormers, there is a bit of a 'French way' of playing. They get away with it.”
“It is nice because it is open-field rugby and you can pass and play off guys, but Test-match rugby has more structure. Sometimes, when you are used to playing a lot more freely, it becomes difficult to go straight into structure.”
“On the day, it has to come down to the player himself, what he can produce and give to the team,” Vermeulen added.
Responding to external critiques regarding Roos’ contact consistency and link-play, Vermeulen revealed that the coaching staff, including world-renowned attack coach Tony Brown, is working daily behind the scenes to inject precision into his all-round game.
“There’s a lot of work being put in behind the scenes with Tony Brown, working on the soft skills. Not just Evan, but with every single player,” Vermeulen said. “Everyone plays their part in helping the guys in certain areas where they lack a bit of precision and perfection.”