Springboks leave Roos and Papier out of All Blacks squad but keep ‘door open’ for RGR series

Roos and Papier omitted as Erasmus splits Springbok squad

Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has left in-form duo Evan Roos and Embrose Papier out of his 43-man group for the upcoming Greatest Rivalry Series against New Zealand – but insists both still have a realistic route back into contention.

Erasmus confirmed that Ntuthuko Mchunu, Roos, Andre-Hugo Venter (all Stormers), Jaco Williams (Sharks) and Papier (Bulls) have been released to turn out for their franchises in tour fixtures against the All Blacks, while lock Ruben van Heerden will return to French club Montpellier.

Those midweek matches in New Zealand will effectively double as trials, with Erasmus stressing that performances there could still shape the final Springbok squad for the high-profile series against their oldest rivals.

“We put a lot of thought into how we will manage the entire group of players to give everyone a chance to stake a claim for places in the squad for the Greatest Rivalry Series (RGR), and we decided that splitting the squad into two groups would be best for the Springbok team and the players to play their way into the squad,” said Erasmus.

Form players miss out despite standout seasons

While the release of Mchunu, Venter and Williams had been widely anticipated, the omission of Roos and Papier is regarded as a tougher blow for two of the most impressive South African performers in the recent United Rugby Championship campaign.

Powerful No 8 Roos, who has hovered on the fringes of Test selection for several seasons, delivered a standout season for the Stormers, finishing as joint leading try-scorer in the URC with 12 tries.

He shared that tally with Papier, whose sharp running and improved game control at scrum-half forced him back into the national conversation after slipping down the pecking order in previous years.

Yet, despite that resurgence, Papier has missed out on the final scrum-half berth, with Erasmus opting for Herschel Jantjies. The Bok coach had long signalled he would recall Morne van den Berg once the Lions scrum-half had fully recovered from injury, further squeezing the competition at No 9.

Squad split between Argentina tour and New Zealand build-up

Erasmus has chosen to divide his wider group as the world champions juggle an away Test in Argentina with preparation for the All Blacks.

“Some players are returning from injury and need valuable game time, so depending on how they progress during next week’s training camp, we will decide who we will take to Argentina, while the other players in the 43-man squad will remain in Johannesburg with a group of coaches and management to begin preparing for the Tests against New Zealand,” he said.

“The players released to their franchises, meanwhile, will also have an opportunity to face the All Blacks in their respective midweek matches if selected, which will be invaluable once we decide on the final RGR squad. We see this as a win-win situation for both the team and the players.”

The arrangement means some Boks will gain Test minutes in Argentina, others will train intensively at home, and a third group – including Roos and Papier – may audition directly against New Zealand in franchise colours.

Erasmus: ‘Fair chance’ promise for fringe Boks

With limited spaces available for the trip to South America, Erasmus said the strategy was designed to ensure fringe players are not frozen out of contention before the All Blacks series begins.

“We are limited in the number of players we can take to Argentina, so it makes sense to give everyone a fair chance to compete for places in the RGR squad.

“Some of the players who will train in Johannesburg will also be in the final stages of their recovery from injury, which will allow them to do so under the supervision of our medical team.”

South Africa will first face Argentina before turning their attention to the All Blacks, in what Erasmus has framed as a carefully mapped build-up – with competition for places, and the performances of unlucky omissions like Roos and Papier, set to shape the final squad for the Greatest Rivalry Series.