Steve Borthwick has called Bristol center Benhard van Rensburg into the group called up to prepare for summer testing. This choice of a player trained in South Africa sparked criticism.
This is the name that was the most commented on in the list given by Steve Borthwick before the summer tests from England : Benhard Janse van Rensburg, three-quarters of central Bristol. Obviously, as his name suggests, he was not trained in England. Â He only joined the UK in 2021 from South Africa. He then signed for London Irish before migrating to Bristol in 2023 after the bankruptcy of his first club. Five years after his installation in England, he is therefore eligible and this has not gone unnoticed by the English coach. Van Rensburg, however, played for the South African under-20 team, 21 minutes in 2016, which made his eligibility uncertain for a moment, but the RFU won its case with World Rugby. He will be fit to wear the England jersey from July 8. And his selection corresponds to the absences of two Bath players, Max Ojomoh and Ollie Lawrence.
Danny Care pas d’accordÂ
A priori, but this decision was not to everyone’s taste. Former international scrum-half Danny Care said: “I’m uncomfortable seeing Max Ojomoh and Ollie Lawrence losing an opportunity. Even if the staff doesn’t like them from a personal point of view or from a technical point of view, they remain two young Englishmen who have always dreamed of playing for their country. I know that Benhard Janse van Rensburg has been here for five years and that he is qualified, but I think that playing at international level should not depend only on that. I don’t want to come across as xenophobic, if Steve Borthwick didn’t have identified centers, I would make this choice. Okay, he’s a very good player who has done a lot in our championship over the past five years. But do I think Janse van Rensburg will make the difference that will lead us to victory in the World Cup? Unfortunately, I don’t think so. Anyway, he wore the South African Under-20 jersey, I think his dream was to play for the Springboks. I think being selected for England means more to Ollie and Steve than it would to a guy who has only been playing in England for a few years and realized that finally, thanks to the five-year rule, he could play for this country.”
Lawrence is injured at the moment, but not Ojomoh, who was named man of the match for his debut against Argentina in November. The two men would have been competitive in early July. But Janse van Rensburg, it must be recognized, sparks in the Bristol jersey which he has worn 70 times. He has become a core man for the West of England club. Obviously, Borthwick is relying on him as a big carrier in midfield, a role that England have struggled to fill since the end of the Manu Tuilagi era.
Borthwick : “He is committed to living his future in our country.”
Obviously, Steve Borthwick responded to the criticism: “I understand the discussions that can exist about it. But for me, it’s an eligible player for England and he is committed to living his future in our country. My role is to build the best possible selection. He’s a player I’ve followed for a long time, when I was coaching Leicester and we faced London Irish, we saw him as a talisman of this club. I think it has some pretty unique strengths. He can play 12 or 13, he’s a big carrier, but also a good distributor and he covers a lot of ground in defense. The races he does for his teams are very impressive.” Borthwick also explained that he called Ollie Lawrence, who has a federal contract, to explain his decision: “I recognize that he is a very good player, just like Ojomoh. But in my position, we have to make choices.”
Benhard Janse van Rensburg is not the first foreigner to wear the XV de la Rose jersey. In the recent past, Nathan Hughes, now at Racing, had 22 caps between 2016 and 2019. Born in Fiji, he has never worn the jersey of his home nation, but could do so in the near future. Janse van Rensburg could play against France XV in Vannes, in a match which will not count for a test on June 19. But he will not be able to play against the Springboks on July 4. He could make his official debut on July 11 against Fiji or against Argentina on July 18.
