Springboks: Duane Vermeulen reveals what he expects from ‘fantastic’ Evan Roos against Scotland
Springboks number eight Evan Roos and, inset, Duane Vermeulen
Duane Vermeulen believes Evan Roos will have a great chance to cement his place in South Africa’s Test squad when they face Scotland in Pretoria on Saturday.
After starting their Nations Championship campaign with an impressive 45-21 victory over England in Johannesburg last week, the Springboks head coach Rassie Erasmus has made 10 changes to his run-on side for the clash against Gregor Townsend’s charges at Loftus Versfeld.
One of those alterations is the introduction of Roos at number eight, allowing the Stormers star to make a rare start for the world champions after making his Test debut against Wales in 2022.
Since then, the 26-year-old has battled to get a look-in for the Springboks despite being one of the Stormers’ best players in recent years and he has only made eight Test appearances to date.
Made one appearance for the Springboks in 2025
Roos was at the forefront of the Stormers’ onslaught in the United Rugby Championship last season but he only made one appearance for the Springboks – against Italy – during their 2025 Test campaign.
Vermeulen, who was South Africa’s first choice number eight during their triumphant 2019 and 2023 Rugby World Cup campaigns, feels this weekend’s clash with Scotland will present Roos with an opportunity to become a regular member of the Springboks squad.
“We want to give every single guy an opportunity to play, and it’s Evan Roos’ opportunity to lift his hand and say, ‘listen, I am also here’,” said Vermeulen, who is now working as one of SA Rugby’s mobi-unit coaches.
“This is a good game for him to show his worth and the impact he has on the game. He is the big go-to guy for the Stormers. His energy on the pitch is massive. We’d like to see a lot of that.
“He’s a fantastic player with a lot of energy. But there’s a difference between playing URC and Test-match rugby. Hopefully, we can get him there and he will produce the goods we are looking for.”
Vermeulen added that while Roos thrives in the Stormers’ expansive style of play, it’s a totally different situation in the Springboks set-up where they place a bigger emphasis on structured play.
“With us there is a specific way of playing. With the Stormers there is a little bit more of a French style [flair]. They get away with it,” he explained.
“It’s nice because it’s open field rugby and they can pass and run off guys.”
Vermeulen revealed that some players who were used to a free-flowing style of play battled to settle into a structured approach.
‘I like the way he plays and his intensity’
“That’s the major thing, but he’s a quick learner and I like the way he plays and his intensity,” he said. “Hopefully, he can showcase that.”
Despite making wholesale changes to their starting line-up, Vermeulen is backing the new-look Springboks side to give a good account of themselves against Scotland on Saturday.
“The guys getting an opportunity to play are definitely good enough – Test caps don’t really define you as a player,” he said.
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“We have got guys with fewer caps this week, but they have great energy, and then there are the calm heads of Pieter-Steph (du Toit), Jesse (Kriel) and Damian (Willemse) to settle any nerves.
“There’s more excitement in the squad this week than usual, and if we can direct that excitement into the right areas, we’ll be in for a good game.”
