Janse van Rensburg Answers England's Doubters With a Try and Two Wins
Benhard Janse van Rensburg scored a try three minutes into his England debut against Fiji, and the debate about whether he should be wearing the red rose at all has not stopped since.
The 29-year-old, born and raised in South Africa, came off the bench in England's 73-8 demolition of Fiji after replacing Henry Slade. He had already appeared as a replacement in the 31-24 win over Argentina. Not a bad first tour: two victories, one try, and, by his own account, around £300 pocketed from card games against teammates. BBC Sport
The selection has rubbed several England luminaries the wrong way. Danny Care, who won 101 caps at scrum-half (the position that feeds the ball into every scrum and directs play), said the call-up "doesn't sit right." Former centres Jeremy Guscott and Mike Tindall echoed that unease. All three questioned why a player developed in South Africa's system should pull on an England shirt. BBC Sport
The root of the frustration is straightforward. Janse van Rensburg was eligible for England only because he had never been capped by South Africa at Test level. Under rugby union's residency rules, a player who has not played senior international rugby for one country can qualify for another after living there long enough. Planet Rugby
What stings for South Africa is that their own head coach tried to prevent exactly this. Rassie Erasmus revealed he wanted to cap Janse van Rensburg for the Springboks but was blocked by SA Rugby bosses. Erasmus held discussions with the player, but a promise between the union's CEO and World Rugby stood in the way. The Telegraph
Erasmus went further, saying Janse van Rensburg could have been in the Springbok camp preparing to face England at Ellis Park in Johannesburg instead of playing for England. The Times
For England, the practical arithmetic matters more than the emotion. A playmaker who reads the game well enough to score minutes into a Test appearance adds depth to a squad that has struggled for creativity at inside centre. The 73-8 scoreline against Fiji was emphatic, and the Argentina result was a genuine contest settled by a single score.
Whether the optics of selecting a South African-born player who slipped through the Springboks' grasp will fade with every strong performance is a question the England management will let results answer. For now, Janse van Rensburg has done his talking on the pitch — and his card playing off it.
