“We Couldn’t Look Past It” — Erasmus Opens Up On Papier’s dramatic Springbok Recall
The outstanding form shown by Embrose Papier this season made his return to the national squad impossible to ignore, with the scrumhalf earning a deserved recall after years of fierce competition for the No. 9 jersey, according to Springbok head coach Rassie Erasmus.
Papier is set to make his long-awaited return to the Springbok fold after last featuring regularly during Erasmus’ first stint in charge in 2018, forcing his way back into contention with a string of impressive performances for the Vodacom Bulls.
The experienced scrumhalf enjoyed a scintillating United Rugby Championship campaign, scoring 11 tries — nine in the regular season and two more in the quarter-final against Munster.
“Firstly, I thought he played really well this season,” Erasmus said.
Reflecting on why Papier had spent so long out of the national setup, Erasmus pointed to the exceptional depth South Africa has enjoyed at scrumhalf over the past several years.
“My first year coaching the Springboks was in 2018 and 2019. He has eight caps now, and most of them came during that period. Then guys like Faf (de Klerk), Cobus (Reinach) and Jaden (Hendrikse) were really well-established players for us. Even a guy like Herschel (Jantjies) was part of two World Cup campaigns.
“So there were a lot of good scrumhalves playing really well. Sometimes it’s not because a player isn’t playing well enough or isn’t of Springbok standard; it’s simply because other players are also performing at a very high level,” he explained.
This season, however, Erasmus felt Papier had done enough to separate himself from the chasing pack.
“None of us can ignore how well he played this year,” he said.
“Then there were some guys who had injuries, and others who lost form, while he found form. We couldn’t look at it any other way.”
Erasmus also believes the circumstances surrounding Papier’s return will help him settle back into Test rugby, with the scrumhalf set to partner long-time teammate Handré Pollard at Loftus Versfeld, where the pair have enjoyed considerable success together.
“I’m very happy for him personally,” Erasmus said. “For us as the Springboks, it’s great to have him back, and he gets this opportunity at home with Handré, someone he’s played a lot of rugby with.
“Hopefully that also helps him. He’s playing alongside someone he knows well, at Loftus, a stadium he’s very familiar with.”
For Erasmus, Papier’s recall is another example of the Springboks’ selection philosophy, with consistent performances ultimately rewarded regardless of how competitive a particular position may be.
