One of Benhard Janse van Rensburg’s former coaches believes his Test opportunity would probably never have come in South Africa.
The strong midfielder is on the verge of living out his Test dream with England, after being included in Steve Borthwick’s training squad.
Jonathan Mokuena, who coached Janse van Rensburg at NWU, says the Bristol Bears centre was always a talented player, but faced too much competition in the positions he plays to realistically break into the Springbok setup.
“If he had continued playing his rugby in South Africa, I don’t think he would ever really have been in the picture for the Springboks,” Mokuena told Netwerk24.
“It is a fact that in the positions he plays, centre and flyhalf, we have incredible depth.”
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Janse van Rensburg will become eligible to represent England next month. That means the 29-year-old could make his Test debut against Fiji, a week after England face the Springboks at Ellis Park.
The Thabazimbi-born back first caught Mokuena’s eye during NWU’s triumphant 2016 Varsity Cup campaign.
He had not arrived in Potchefstroom on a rugby scholarship and initially played for the Patria residence team under former Springbok André Pretorius.
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When starting flyhalf Schalk Hugo was injured, Mokuena handed the then-18-year-old his chance.
“I was a little nervous at first because I wondered how he would handle the pressure,” Mokuena said. “But that boy from Limpopo stood his ground. I was very proud of him.”
Photo: Ed Sykes/Getty Images
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