VIDEO: Brits set for green and gold comeback in Cape Town
JUNE SPOTLIGHT: Hooker Schalk Brits is set to make his first Test appearance for the Springboks since the 2015 World Cup in England.
The 37-year-old Brits retired from rugby after the 2017/2018 European club season after representing Saracens for a number of seasons. However, Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus called up the veteran ahead of last week’s second Test against England.
Brits did not feature in the Boks’ matchday squad for the Test in Bloemfontein, but with the South Africans already wrapping up the series after their 23-12 victory last weekend, he is expected to feature amongst the changes in the Bok team for the final showdown against England at Newlands.
“He [Brits] would definitely come into the reckoning for this game,” Erasmus told reporters in Cape Town on Monday. “It all depends on whether he will be starting or coming off the bench.
“We saw at previous World Cups that your No.9, No.10, hooker, No.5 lock and your No.15 are probably where you want to be sure of [in depth] if two or three guys go down before a World Cup.
“New Zealand played with five different flyhalves at the 2011 World Cup and one guy wasn’t even in the camp, so Schalk would be one of those guys we want to test somewhere.”
Erasmus believes Brits has more than enough left in the tank for one more season leading up to the World Cup.
“His plan was to retire. I think after this weekend we will have a good sit-down and see where we are in terms of depth and experience with Chiliboy [Mahlatse Ralepelle], Bongi [Mbongeni Mbonambi], Malcolm [Marx] there and with Akker [Armand van der Merwe] really doing well. Those are four solid hookers and there are a few other guys who are pushing really hard. We wanted to have a look at Bismarck [du Plessis], but the timing just didn’t work out.
“I really think Schalk is the kind of guy who can play until he is 38. I think playing one more season is not impossible, so we will just have to take stock after the series and make a good decision.
“If we need to keep him on the back burner or if we have to press on his number come World Cup time, then we will certainly make a plan around that,” Erasmus added.
If he is to be a contender for World Cup selection Brits would need to continue playing rugby after Saturday and that is something Erasmus is aware of.
There is a possibility of Brits linking up with one of the local franchises for Super Rugby in the future or he could head back overseas.
“He can go back overseas obviously, but in a World Cup year we can pick anybody, and he doesn’t have to play in South Africa,” said Erasmus.
“I can’t say for sure that Schalk is going to keep on playing after this Saturday.”
By Warren Fortune
@FortuneWarren
@rugby365com
