TUCKED AWAY AT home back in South Africa, 21-year-old Evan Roos has one of Jack Conan’s Lions jerseys.
The Stormers number eight swapped shirts with the Irishman after their clash in July, a game the Lions won on a 46-point margin but also one in which Roos underlined his rich promise.
Roos is enjoying a brilliant 2021 and has continued his superb form for the Stormers in the opening two weekends of the URC, impressing with his relentless ball-carrying against Benetton and then versus Munster at Thomond Park last weekend.
His head coach, John Dobson, believes Roos has the potential to be a star on the very highest stage. The young back row is a major prospect for South African rugby and he is delighting in the new experiences this year is bringing.
“I never thought I would play in Thomond Park,” says Roos. “With all the fans, the sound, the noise – it was an experience.
“I’ve known about Munster for quite a while and with this new competition, playing against a few internationals, it was just an awesome opportunity.”
The touring experience has been enjoyable, even if the heat of Italy was tough to play in. The Stormers stayed in Ireland this week after the Munster clash, taking in the sights of Limerick before arriving in Dublin yesterday and going for dinner and a pint of Guinness in the capital.
They fly out to Scotland tomorrow for Saturday’s clash with Edinburgh and then move onto Wales for a meeting with Dragons on the last leg of this demanding block in the new competition.
Given the impact he’s having for the Stormers, it’s remarkable that Roos considered quitting rugby just last year when he was struggling while with the Sharks.
Originally hailing from Paarl, just north of Cape Town, Roos grew up in Pretoria and attended the prestigious Affies school that has produced Springboks like Fourie du Preez, RG Snyman, and Pierre Spies – one of Roos’ role models, along with Duane Vermeulen.
“I aspire to be an eighthman who is a mix of them,” says Roos, who represented the Bulls at U12 and U13 levels when he was at Affies.
There was no great rugby history in Roos’ family but his parents had athletics backgrounds and were supportive of him pursuing whichever sport he enjoyed.
“They were very cool from a young age and if I didn’t want to play a sport, they were so chill about it. But I loved it and whatever I did, they supported me in it. I love my parents, they’re the best.”
When he was 15, his father’s work brought the family back to Paarl and Evan moved to another big rugby school, Paarl Boys’ High School, where he got a taste of high-profile and high-pressure rugby, particularly in the annual clashes with rivals Paarl Gimnasium. In a town of around 110,000 people, these games were a very big deal.
“The first Saturday of August every year, they call it the Interschools and it’s Paarl Boys versus Paarl Gym,” explains Roos.
“At the first team game, there can be around 25,000 people. They have to rent out a stadium for it. The whole town stands still for a week, the bakeries make cakes with the faces of the players on them, there are posters all over the windows. It’s ridiculous and it’s not just rugby, it’s all the sports that week. It’s massive.”
Roos scored a stunning try from inside his own half in the Interschools game in 2018, the same year he earned international honours for the first time. His excellence for Western Province at Craven Week – an inter-provincial competition where the best young stars often announce themselves – saw Roos selected to play for South Africa U18 Schools against France, Wales and England.
The Sharks swooped for Roos’ signature when he finished school, meaning a move 1,500km across the country to Durban but it didn’t work out, with the explosive number eight making only two Currie Cup appearances in his two years there.
Frustrated and homesick, Roos considered walking away from rugby.
“I didn’t play a lot of rugby last year,” he says. “There wasn’t a lot of opportunity at the Sharks and I got to a place where I was thinking of stopping rugby and just going studying because things weren’t working.
“I didn’t think I would have an opportunity back at Province because they had lots of players in my position. I had been away from home for two years, things weren’t working out, my friends were all back home studying and I was the only ‘oke’ who was away. Mentally, I wasn’t in the best place but my parents were very supportive.”
Roos counts himself lucky that Western Province and the Stormers found room for him, although a player of his talent was never likely to be overlooked, and his career has taken off since moving back. Last month, Roos signed a new four-year contract that runs through to 2025.
He praises head coach Dobson’s honesty and humour, while Roos has already exceeded all of his own expectations for this year.
“I started with the Stormers this year and didn’t think I’d be in the place I am now. I was really just hoping to find a place in the squad, maybe bench now and again. All of this has happened so unexpectedly, so I’m happy and blessed to be where I am now.”
He relished the chance to play against the Lions, learning from the pace of the game, the physicality, and how clinically the tourists punished the Stormers’ mistakes.
Given that he doesn’t turn 22 until January, Roos may well feature against the Lions the next time they tour South Africa.
Right now, though, he is grabbing every opportunity to carry, offload, ruck, and tackle with newfound glee.
“I got this lifeline at Province and it’s just that desperation now – knowing that I was at a point where I thought I wouldn’t be able to play rugby anymore.
“I’m getting chances now and I’m not taking that for granted.”
Frawley deserves to keep his spot in the squad. Would go for 6/2 split with Frawley covering. Tough on Ringrose, but shows the depth of the squad at the moment. The impact of the 6 forward has been massive each time.
@Luke Guerin: Agree. This makes sense
@Luke Guerin: I think it can go either way Ringrose or Frawley in a 6:2 split. Ringrose kicked for Blackrock, while still a centre, during his early years.
@Luke Guerin: It’s a very fair shout but you could definitely argue the toss. I would guess Farrell will go 5:3 on the bench for England. The bench we had the last day in the forwards was immense and made a huge impact but we were definitely treading water out the backs in the final quarter. We could end up, like we did against Wales, with a centre on the wing, and we are then just one more incident away from a patchwork back line. Probably too big a risk for such a big game. For me I’d be more comfortable with a 5:3 with Murray, Frawley, Ringrose.
@Mark Murphy: agreed, AF will drop Baird for Ringrose and play it safe . We’d have huge problems if one of our centres or wings went down injured early on v England
@Mark Murphy: yeah, fair point. No reason to take such a risk I suppose. Have loved our version of the bomb squad though
@Luke Guerin: Keenan not back in training today, so discussion may be academic. If he’s not back, I guess it will be 6/2 and Ringrose will get 23. And is there a hint that Tadhg F is out? Only reason why Bealham would not be risked for the Connacht game.
@Luke Guerin: This is the challenge Farrell faces… it’s a tough one, but much better to have to choose from too many good players than not enough. As brilliant as Frawley was on Saturday, Ringrose is a 50 cap player, 2nd only to BOD in the 13 jersey. The question is not whether or not Ringrose is in the 23, its who drops out for him – Henshaw or Frawley?
Henshaw went v well indeed in the first 2 games. That said, he looked very slow against wales (I thought that ‘burst’ down the line where he kicked ahead was POM as Henshaw looked like a forward. Add to that 2 things :
1. Ireland rarely got outside Wales outside of kick passes (bravo to the 2 young lads) & Henshaw a primary reason here in terms of his style of play, & lack of pace
2. Whilst Aki & Henshaw are not the Danae player, they have a lot more in common with each other than either do with Ringrose. Ringrose offers so much more in attack, better lines, better play making, and this spread of playmsking amongst Crowley / Sexton, Ringrose, Keenan and Hansen has been critical for Ireland the past 3 years. Ringrose has to start, we will not maul England as much as in the first 2 games.
@Andrew Hurley: just checking, are you Ringrose agent, the missed tackle count is well down, with Ringrose not playing.
@Michael Colleary: ‘missed’ tackles dont tell the whole story as regards defensive nous. U can ‘miss’ a rush up tackle but still be very effective to the defensive line’s integrity oddly enough
So 5/3 split, we lose Conan or Baird?
6/2 split we lose Frawley or Ringrose?
Bealham is miles ahead of Jager so that’s an easy one.
The other decisions ain’t easy but I’d go with Conan & Frawley as those 2 sit better in Faz’s framework to date
I would reinstate Keenan and Ringrose, Henshaw no 23 with Byrne 22 in a 5/3 split. Can someone let Andy know, I dont have his number oddly enough. Ringrose is our outstanding and natural 13 imo, no disrespect to Henshaw who has been excellent in first 2 games
@Arjuna: Byrne? whaa?
Farrell needs to have a good think before selecting the team. England and Scotland have world class place kickers and they will kick Ireland off the park if they continue to give away stupid penalties. I suspect James Ryan might be reinstated over McCarthy for that reason (although the McCarthy Itoje battle
Might be epic). Regardless I think Ireland need to be much more direct with England as the pretty rugby in the first half last week didn’t translate into a decent points margin.