With the South African sides struggling in the opening rounds of the Vodacom URC, should the World Cup-winning Boks rejoin their clubs sooner rather than later?
The Bok stars were stood down for a three-week rest after their heroics at the World Cup in France, but the URC teams have borne the cost of this break as only the Vodacom Bulls currently reside among the top eight on the standings.
State of the URC: No SA teams in Top 6
If the pressure of turning around a poor start to the URC season isn’t enough, Champions and Challenge Cup rugby returns in December and requires squad depth for important rotations between the two tournaments – a problem that can be alleviated by the return of champion Bok players.
With five losses in five matches, the Sharks will be beaming at the prospect of bolstering their ranks with players like Eben Etzebeth, Makazole Mapimpi, Jaden Hendrikse and Grant Williams, while on the other side of the spectrum, Bulls coach Jake White has even suggested resting their returning Bok players for an additional week if his side’s momentum continues.
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