Springboks Number Eight Evan Roos Ruled Out for Remainder of Season Due to Shoulder Surgery
Rugby Union News: BBC
Evan Roos, the dynamic Springboks number eight, will not feature again this season after deciding to undergo surgery on a persistent shoulder injury. The 24-year-old’s exclusion from Rassie Erasmus’ 33-man squad for the upcoming Rugby Championship campaign came as a surprise to many.
With Jasper Wiese suspended for South Africa’s next two Test matches, Kwagga Smith is expected to step up and fill the number eight role against Ireland. Meanwhile, Elrigh Louw has been preferred by Erasmus, who wants to see how the promising youngster fares at the international level.
Roos, a standout performer for the Stormers, disclosed that the specialist advised him to have the operation now, as the shoulder problem has been troubling him for close to a year. “It’s already a difficult operation with some of the cartilage in the shoulder gone,” he explained. “It’s sad, especially because there was maybe a chance to play for the Boks again. However, I can’t give them a 100 per cent with the injured shoulder.”
The Springboks’ Rugby Championship opener against the Wallabies in Brisbane on August 10 will now see a direct battle between Louw and World Cup winner Smith for the number eight jersey. Roos is expected to be sidelined for the next four to six months, ruling him out of the remainder of the Rugby Championship and the Springboks’ end-of-year tour to Europe, as well as the start of the Stormers’ United Rugby Championship campaign.
As the Boks prepare to take on the Wallabies, their “frightening” pack will be aiming to overpower the Australians and get their Rugby Championship campaign off to a winning start.
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