Nick Mallett has voiced his belief that Evan Roos, despite his evident talent, needs to focus on improving his discipline and decision-making to secure a permanent position in the Springbok back row. Roos is set to start in the upcoming Nations Championship game against Scotland at Loftus Versfeld, marking his ninth Test appearance.
During the Talking Boks podcast, Mallett praised Roos for his inherent qualities that make him a promising international player. "What we need to get out of Evan Roos are all his good points. His athleticism, his carrying ability, his defence, his ability to turn ball over and his enthusiasm," Mallett commented. However, he noted that Roos needs to curb his overzealous errors.
"But we’ve got to get rid of the stupidity of the mistakes he makes because of over-exuberance."
Mallett observed that Roos has shown signs of maturity by not trying to physically dominate every encounter, which he believes is partly due to guidance from Rassie Erasmus and Stormers coach John Dobson. "I think he’s got much better in terms of him trying to prove that he’s a big, physical guy who can beat up half the opposition," Mallett added.
Reflecting on Roos' performance in a match against Ulster in the Vodacom URC, Mallett pointed out specific instances where lapses in discipline negatively impacted the game. "He played a game against Ulster which was probably the worst game I’ve seen him play in the Stormers jersey. There were four occasions – two when the Stormers were in a position to score a try – where he got in the way, gave a penalty away, cleaned a guy out from the side out of over-enthusiasm and just poor handling mistakes at the wrong time," Mallett explained.
According to Mallett, Roos should emulate fellow loose forwards like Paul de Villiers and Kwagga Smith, who excel in staying on the right side of the law.
"He needs to work on his discipline – not fighting – but discipline in not coming in from the side or not listening to the ref, kind of like Paul de Villiers or Kwagga Smith does. They’re clever enough not to give penalties away in those situations."
The upcoming match at Loftus Versfeld will be a crucial test for Roos as he continues to develop his game at the highest level.