Franco Smith’s pivotal role in developing England’s next centre Benhard Janse van Rensburg
Benhard Janse van Rensburg and an inset of Glasgow Warriors head coach Franco Smith.
Benhard Janse van Rensburg is committed to playing for England and holds no ill feelings towards South Africa despite being overlooked by the Springboks.
That is according to his father, Gerhard, who revealed that Glasgow Warriors head coach Franco Smith played a significant role in his son’s development before his move to England.
South African-born and bred Janse van Rensburg is in line for a possible England debut this year after World Rugby granted the RFU permission to select the Bristol Bears centre under ‘exceptional circumstances‘ as he was tied to the Springboks after playing a handful of minutes off the bench for the Junior Springboks back in 2016.
Between 2015 and 2017, the U20s team was the capture side for South Africa, which meant that players who played for the side during that time would only be able to change their international allegiance through a birthright transfer – a parent or grandparent who was born in the country they wished to change to.
Benhard Janse van Rensburg holds no grudges after Springboks snub
But given that he was called up as a replacement for the third-fourth play-off match and played just 20 minutes, World Rugby made an exception for England and has allowed Steve Borthwick to select the 29-year-old on residency grounds.
This after the Springboks have shown little selection interest in Janse van Rensburg, who grew up wanting to play for South Africa and admitted in a podcast appearance in 2024 that he would choose the Springboks over England.
“If the Springboks call-up comes before England, I would never say no, but if the England one is first, I’m going to say yes to that. It depends which one comes first,” he told Maul or Nothing.
Ultimately, it is the latter that has come first, and Janse van Rensburg has stuck to his word, and according to his father, he is now fully committed to representing England and holds no grudges toward South Africa despite being snubbed.
“He wants to play for England,” Gerhard told Afrikaans publication Rapport.
“He has committed himself to England. When Steve Borthwick called him and said, I want to invite you to a training camp and asked if he was committed, he said, ‘Coach, if you invite me, I’m committed.’
“And it’s not about him not liking or being angry at South Africa – that’s not the case at all; he found opportunities there.”
Why ‘coach’s dream’ Benhard Janse van Rensburg is the England midfield answer hiding in plain sight
Franco Smith’s role
Janse van Rensburg only becomes eligible for selection for England’s second Nations Championship match against Fiji, meaning that he will miss the fixture against the Springboks at Ellis Park the week prior.
However, the Bears star may not have even got to this point had it not been for a canny decision from Smith, who decided to turn Janse van Rensburg into a centre during the pair’s shared time in the Free State with the Cheetahs.
During the earlier stages of his career, Janse van Rensburg played much of his rugby at fly-half and full-back, but Smith informed him that he wouldn’t be considering him as an option at number 10 in his team.
Instead, the then-Cheetahs boss wanted a playmaker in the outside centre position, which he believed Janse van Rensburg could thrive in.
“Franco told Benhard, ‘I’m not going to play you at fly-half as I’m looking for two fly-halves in my team, but I’m also looking for a playmaker at 13. That’s why Franco played him at 13.”
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Career altering move
It was a career-altering shift for Janse van Rensburg, who went on to start 19 of his 20 matches for the Cheetahs during the 2018/19 PRO14 season and played 16 times for the side across the 2019/20 PRO14 and Super Rugby Unlocked.
His performances for the Bloemfontein outfit caught the attention of London Irish, who recruited the South African for their midfield, and he has shone in England ever since, particularly with his move to Bristol after the Exiles went into administration.
His call-up to the England alignment camp ahead of the likes of Ollie Lawrence and Max Ojomoh, as well as the effort the RFU went through to get him eligible for the national team, suggests that head coach Borthwick rates the South African incredibly highly. The England midfield puzzle has been a topic of debate for several seasons, particularly with Manu Tuilagi’s injury record throughout his career.
But Janse van Rensburg could finally be the piece that solves the puzzle going forward, especially because he is equally comfortable at inside and outside centre.
