Mike Greenaway
Eyebrows were raised when Stormers No 8 Evan Roos was left out of the Springboks’ 33-man squad for the Rugby Championship but it has emerged that he needs surgery on a long-time shoulder injury.
Bok coach Rassie Erasmus said at the time of the shock omission, “I know what we have in Evan” but there was more to the non-selection than that. The 24-year-old Roos has been carrying a shoulder injury for some time and expert advice is that it should be taken care of before it deteriorates.
One of Roos’ big rivals for the No 8 jersey, Elrigh Louw of the Bulls, will be given a chance in the position over the next fortnight of Test matches between the Boks and the Wallabies in Australia.
It will hurt Roos to watch from the sidelines but he is a young man and it will be in his best interests to start the new season in good shape.
Roos told reporters: “The specialist says if I don’t have surgery now, it’s only going to get worse. It’s already a difficult operation with some of the cartilage in the shoulder gone.
“It’s sad because there was maybe a chance to play for the Boks again this year. However, I can’t give them a hundred percent with the injured shoulder.”
Roos is expected to make his comeback for the Stormers early next year. He will, therefore, miss all of the Rugby Championship, which starts this weekend and completes its final round at the end of September; the Autumn Internationals in November against Scotland England and Wales; and the start of the United Rugby Championship on September 21.