Hard-running Stormers loose-forward Evan Roos is ready to use his newfound “zen” and all-round ability to help them over the line in Saturday’s United Rugby Championship quarterfinal against Glasgow Warriors.
Roos, who has earned a bit of a reputation as a kapokhaantjie, knows he will once again have a huge target on his back when they take the field at Scotstoun Stadium, as opposition players look to rile him up to get involved in off-the-ball confrontations.
Aikona, says Roos, who credits his development into an all-rounder for the Stormers by playing at No.8, on the blindside and openside flank, for fewer temper tantrums on the field.
Usually one to bite back when an opposing player tries to rol him, Roos now prefers to kap a smile when dinge get rof.
On his newfound moments of zen, Roos says: “Look when I started playing [at this level] I was 21 and when you are young, you want to go out and prove yourselves.
“I have chatted to some of the coaches and a few of the experienced players about that, and they made me realise that as a team we want to go out and make Cape Town smile and we don’t want to be known as a bunch of bullies.
“But obviously, when you play rugby it’s a hard and tough 80 minutes of violence and I really try to temper my emotions.”
What has helped him, Roos says, is picking up some of the slack after losing their number one fetcher Deon Fourie to injury.
Of moving into the No.6 jumper, Roos says: “It’s always good to be a more versatile player, but wherever Dobbo [coach John Dobson] and the team needs me, I will play there because it is such an awesome privilege to play for the Stormers.
“And I guess the positive of that is that it starts to develop new skills in the different positions and it’s been a lekker experience playing at 6, 7 and 8 this season and adding another piece of arsenal to your rugby game.”
Even though Glasgow have a reputation for playing an exciting brand of running rugby, Roos knows the Scottish outfit won’t shy away from the physical stuff on their home turf this Saturday.