Brits ‘a stroke of genius’

THE HOOKING position for coach Rassie Erasmus’s Springboks was always going to be a contentious issue following the injury to first-choice No 2 Malcolm Marx. Hero of a bygone Bok era Bismarck du Plessis was included, then withdrawn, and then came the inclusion of Schalk Brits.

At 37 and technically a month into retirement, not many predicted a callup for the long-serving Saracens man, but his callup, in what must be more of an advisory role, is being viewed as a smart move by those who know him well - the English.

Brits is a folk hero in and around London, often being called one of the best imports in the English Premiership. Thus, when he was called into the Bok squad amid quizzical faces in South Africa, it was seemingly jealousy emanating from the English.

England scrum coach Neil Hatley has viewed Brits’s callup as a good move by Erasmus as he gains a lot of insight from the veteran and is almost instantly vindicated thanks to the sterling performances of the overseas-based Boks already in the team.

“You can see what Rassie does, technically he is very good, he does a lot of homework, he is similar to (England head coach) Eddie Jones in that sort of vein,” Hatley said.

“Now he has potentially a lot of insight with Schalk Brits in the squad, on those who he plays with at his club Saracens and a lot of players that play in the league.

“If you are South African, you have an unbelievable return from Duane Vermeulen and Faf de Klerk; it makes sense to bring in somebody… albeit three or four weeks after his retirement, to bring him straight in.

Brits was phenomenal right to the end for Saracens, and the English know what he can offer, and thus now know what he can do against them should he get some game time in the remaining two Tests.

“Those guys that watch the Premiership know he is a special player; he is not just a good set-piece forward, he is good around the park, he has great feet, good defender, and brings a lot of life to the team,” Hatley added.

“I saw some of the report saying it is a stroke of genius.”