Evan Roos is playing down any personal Springbok ambitions ahead of the much-anticipated north-south derby between the Stormers and the Bulls, set for Saturday at 18:00 (SA Time) at DHL Stadium in Cape Town.
The dynamic Stormers No. 8, in superb form this season, insists his focus is firmly on helping his team secure victory, rather than viewing the clash as a Springbok trial. Roos expects a bruising contest in the loose forwards, where he could go head-to-head with fellow Bok hopefuls Cameron Hanekom or Elrigh Louw in the Bulls’ back row.
“Going into a match with a Bok trial mentality is selfish,” Roos said in a recent interview. “My priority is to do what the team needs this weekend.”
Despite his excellent performances, Roos remains grounded and wary of complacency. “Anyone can always be better. I think as soon as you think you’ve arrived, life humbles you quickly. So every day at training, I just try to get better, working on the small things.”
Roos has been central to the Stormers’ strong start in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship, anchoring a side unbeaten in their first seven URC matches and delivering standout performances in the Champions Cup. Although overlooked by national selectors so far, the 25-year-old remains committed to the team’s collective goals.
“Every team wants to do as well as they can in the URC. I think we stuck to what we wanted to do and did it well, and the results have paid off so far. It’s now just up to us to keep on driving our own standards and trying to be better every game.”