Evan Roos and Several South Africans are set to feature for the Barbarians against an All Blacks XV in Brentford on Saturday.

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Several South Africans are set to feature for the Barbarians against an All Blacks XV in Brentford on Saturday.

Springboks Bongi Mbonambi, Asenathi Ntlabakanye, Cobus Wiese, Evan Roos and Rob du Preez trained with the Baa-Baas this week, along with Oli Kebble, Ali Vermaak, Ernst van Rhyn, Ruben van Heerden, Bathobele Hlekani, Hanro Liebenberg, Dan du Plessis, Benhard Janse van Rensburg and Werner Kok.

Mbonambi, Ntlabakanye and Roos were named in a 10-man standby group for the Boks’ five-match end-of-year tour, which kicks off at Wembley on Saturday with a match against Japan.

Hlekani starred for the Junior Boks in the 2025 World Rugby U20 Championship and will join the Lions from the Sharks at the end of the year.

The Barbarians are being coached by Stormers coach director of rugby John Dobson and Bristol Bears director of rugby Pat Lam.

Roos, who has scored four tries in four URC matches this season, could only crack the 10-man standby group.

The 25-year-old has made just one Test appearance this year – off the bench against Italy in Port Elizabeth – and earned eight caps in total since his Bok debut in 2022.

Roos, in this season’s Vodacom United Rugby Championship, has played 297 minutes, at an average of 74 minutes a match, scored four tries and led the statistics in most areas as the Stormers have won all four matches and topped the table on points differential.

If Roos’s Boks game time has been limited, the opposite is true at the Stormers. He has played 68 matches for a total of 4991 minutes since 2021, scored twenty seven tries and averaged 73 minutes a game.

In the URC, he has played 58 matches, scored 25 tries and averaged 75 minutes a game.

He should be the best paid player at the Stormers, given his work ethic and game time returns.

With a guy like Evan, the big things that he adds are the things you see because he is on the ball in those moments.

Gentlesoccer 4 hours ago

0 57 1 minute read