Embrose Papier returns to the Springbok setup for Saturday's Nations Championship clash against Scotland at Loftus Versfeld, eight years after earning the bulk of his seven caps under Rassie Erasmus in 2018.
Erasmus was direct about the reasoning behind the recall. "Firstly, I thought he played really well this season," he said. "Sometimes it's not because the player is not playing well enough or is not Springbok class; it's just because there are other guys that are playing really well. He gets the opportunity at home with Handre, where he's played a lot of rugby, so hopefully that helps him."
Papier's URC season with the Bulls was the catalyst. He scored 12 tries, made 15 clean breaks, registered six assists and beat 27 defenders across the campaign, gaining more than 500 metres in total — numbers that underpinned the Bulls' run to the URC Final. Erasmus acknowledged the combination of Papier's form and availability gaps among established scrumhalves as the factors that opened the door.
Papier will start alongside Handré Pollard on Saturday, reprising the halfback partnership the two formed for the Boks against Scotland at Murrayfield in 2018 — a match South Africa won 26-20. That was Papier's first Test start. Both players are Bulls teammates, and the familiarity is not lost on him.
"We've spent a lot of time together on the pitch, and I'm just excited to go into this game with him," Papier said. "It's different in the Springbok environment, but we just need to pitch up on the day and give it our all."
His experience against Scottish opposition in the URC — including a try against Glasgow Warriors in the semifinal — adds a practical edge to the selection. Papier has faced both Glasgow and Edinburgh regularly over the past five seasons and will arrive at Loftus familiar with a number of Scotland's matchday players.
"I'm learning a lot every day. I've missed a lot of guys, and a lot of familiar faces, so it's just great to be in the environment," he added.