Evan Roos positive about Bok prospects despite Rugby Championship omission

Roos was a surprise exclusion from Springboks head coach Rassie Erasmus' 33-man selection for the southern hemisphere competition, especially as first choice number eight Jasper Wiese is sidelined after receiving a heavy suspension while on duty with Leicester Tigers in the Premiership.

With Roos out of the picture for now, it looks like Elrigh Louw and World Cup winner Kwagga Smith will be involved in a direct duel to start at number eight in South Africa's Rugby Championship opener with Australia in Brisbane on August 10.

Roos' services were deemed surplus to requirements for the Springboks after he started in that position in their mid-year internationals against Wales and Portugal.

Despite his omission, Erasmus said Roos is not out of his plans and the 24-year-old could still feature in the Boks' matches against New Zealand and Argentina later in the tournament.

And although he has been dropped, Roos said he enjoyed his time in the Springboks camp during their recent Tests against Wales, Ireland and Os Lobos.

"It's always awesome being part of the Boks set-up," he told the Boks Office podcast. "The attention to detail is massive and where you can get better in those one per cents, that's where the detail comes in.

"Also, if you know your detail then you can go and be physical and enjoy it because you're not wondering on the field, 'where should I be? What should I do?'"

The Stormers star also gave an insight into how it has been to work with Erasmus' new coaching staff, especially under attack coach Tony Brown.

"It's fun. The attack and the way he explains it, and it's a different kind of mindset he brings in as well," he said.

"Obviously, he's a New Zealander so it's a different way of thinking on attack that we usually as South Africans are used to.

"I enjoy it a lot, I enjoy the attack aspect of rugby."

Roos revealed that back-rowers have a big role to play in the Boks' new attacking approach under Brown.

"It depends on what type of loose forward you are," he explained. "You're a bit more of a tighty if you're working in the middle of the field. If you're working on the edges, that's quite fun.

"Just the thinking and the way he encourages you to be brave on attack and try things, I really enjoyed those few weeks I was there."

Meanwhile, he also revealed that it's been strange to have legendary Springbok Duane Vermeulen in the camp in a "roving coaching role" after he retired from the game as a player following last year's triumphant World Cup campaign in France.

"Phepsi (Buthelezi) walks in and calls him 'coach' and I start laughing, it feels weird," said Roos.

"He sits in the evenings because he comes up with all these crazy tackle drills and I tell him, 'listen, just because you don't have to do this anymore now, you think of all these things to bugger us up with.' He then says, 'yes' and he loves it."

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