Not just good on paper: How Embrose Papier is pushing for a Springbok recall

If scrumhalf Embrose Papier continues on this trend in the United Rugby Championship (URC) with the Bulls, his push for a recall to the Springboks won’t be easy to deny any longer.

The livewire scrumhalf has been the heartbeat of the Pretoria side in the URC this season, with his sharp service and attacking instincts, clicking with halfback partner Handré Pollard at the right time of the season.

While he is putting in Player of the Match performances, his importance to the Bulls’ cause can’t be overstated. Take, for instance, his absence earlier this month against the Stormers while he was on nappy duty, and how it impacted the men from Loftus. They lost that match partly because the spark of Papier was missing. Upon his return, things changed immediately.

That brings into question why the scrumhalf hasn’t seen some form of Bok action more recently. He hasn’t only been delivering these performances this season — it has been coming for a while.

However, it seems like he has fallen out of favour at the highest level.

Locally, the Springboks have Cobus Reinach (Stormers), Grant Williams and Jaden Hendrikse (both Sharks) and Morné van den Berg (Lions) to select from. More recently, Lions rookie Haashim Pead received a Bok alignment camp invitation.

Abroad, Faf de Klerk received a recall to the virtual alignment camp after spending almost a season in the international wilderness. Herschel Jantjies, currently playing in France, also received an invitation to the latest overseas virtual camp. He last played Bok rugby in 2023.

So where does that leave Papier? That is the question that has been hovering in South Africa for the last few months — and even before that, when he showed similar form in 2024. Arguably, he is the top local scrumhalf at the moment, and he is playing alongside someone like Pollard at the Bulls. He is also a former teammate of Manie Libbok at Junior Springbok level, so he knows the two Bok flyhalves well.

Then there are several Springbok forwards — like eighthman Cameron Hanekom, loose forwards Elrigh Louw and Marco van Staden, and lock Ruan Nortjé — who play alongside him. It’s not like he would be a complete newcomer to the setup.

For now, it seems all the scrumhalf can do is continue thriving in the rich vein of form he is in. He has made the Bulls jersey his own — now the grind continues for that elusive international recall.