Papier in power performance as Bulls charge in URC

Bulls No 9 Embrose Papier responded to his omission from the Springboks alignment camp in the best possible way, with another Player of the Match performance in the URC.

Papier was proper in the Bulls 40-7 win against Cardiff in the URC at Loftus, Pretoria, having been a late withdrawal a week ago against the Stormers a week ago.

The Bulls lost to the Stormers and Papier’s absence was obvious.

Against Cardiff he was at the heart of everything good about the Bulls attack, was individually decisive and composed, produced consistency in his kicking game management, electric pace for his try and was always a threat on the break, especially close to the fringes of the ruck.

Rassie Erasmus picked Papier for the Springboks in 2018, but it has been seven long years in-between drinks for the Bulls No 9.

In this time Erasmus, coach in 2018, Jacques Nienaber, coached between 2020 and 2023 and Erasmus, back as head coach from 2024, have relied on Faf de Klerk, Herschel Jantjies and Cobus Reinach to win the 2019 RWC and on De Klerk, Reinach, Grant Williams and Jaden Hendrikse to win the 2023 RWC.

Nienaber and Erasmus (National Director of Rugby) picked all four No 9s in the match 23 that beat Romania 76-0 at the World Cup. Reinach started at No 9, Williams started on the right wing and Hendrikse was the reserve No 9 and De Klerk the reserve No 10 and goalkicker.

In the 2024 and 2025 Test seasons, Lions No 9 Morné van den Berg played Test rugby and in Erasmus’s first Springboks alignment camp for 2025, earlier in March, SA under 20 World Championship winner Haashim Pead was included in a group of No 9s, while De Klerk and Jantjies were among the overseas-based players selected for a virtual alignment camp.

De Klerk, who spent a lengthy time on the sidelines because of injury, found form in scoring three tries for the Yokohama Canon Eagles’ 38-29 win against Dave Rennie’s Japanese League 1 log-leading Kobelco Kobe Steelers. He was named Player of the Match.

Jantjies has started nine of 15 matches for French Top 14 club Bayonne.

De Klerk has signed to return to South Africa and play for the Cheetahs after five seasons in Japan. Before Japan he played for Sale Sharks in Manchester, England, having made his Test debut when playing for the Johannesburg-based Lions.

In 2018 the then Bulls No 9 Ivan van Zyl and Lions No 9 Ross Cronje were also selected for the Boks.

Papier, a Bulls Centurion, has started 10 of 14 matches for the club this season, 11 in the United Rugby Championship and three in the Investec Champions Cup, and has scored six tries.

Papier made his Test debut in 2018. He has not played for the Boks again since 2018.

He is still just 28 years-old

SH Rugby Blog, back in 2018, asked if Papier was not trusted by Erasmus, given the minimal game time.

List of games in which Papier was in the Match Day 23, and his minutes played

Date	Opponent	Detail

June 2, 2018

Wales

4 minutes at wing, Washington DC (Springbok debut)

June 2018

England

Not in matchday 23 for first two Tests

June 23, 2018

England

5 minutes at scrumhalf, Cape Town (3rd Test)

August 18, 2018

Argentina

7 minutes at wing, Durban

August 25, 2018

Argentina

Unused substitute, Mendoza

September 8, 2018

Australia

Unused substitute, Brisbane

September 15, 2018

New Zealand

Replaced in matchday 23 by Ross Cronjé (unused), Wellington

September 29, 2018

Australia

Unused substitute, Port Elizabeth

October 6, 2018

New Zealand

7 minutes at scrumhalf, Pretoria

November 3, 2018

England

6 minutes at scrumhalf, London

November 2018

France

Not in matchday 23

Papier, on the 17th November, 2018, finally got to start against Scotland at Murrayfield and played for 78 minutes. The Boks won 26-20, with Handre Pollard scoring 18 points and Elton Jantjies kicking a late penalty to secure the win. Of the Boks match 23 of that day, 19 went onto win the World Cup, left winger Aphiwe Dyantyi was banned for testing positive, right winger Sbu Nkosi lost form and his appetite for rugby, beset by off-field disciplinary issues, Van Zyl found a future at Saracens in the English Premiership and Papier was sent back to the Bulls.

South Africa: Willie le Roux, Sbu Nkosi, Jesse Kriel, Damian de Allende, Aphiwe Dyantyi, Handre Pollard, Embrose Papier; Steven Kitshoff, Malcolm Marx, Frans Malherbe, RG Snyman, Franco Mostert, Siya Kolisi (captain), Pieter-Steph du Toit, Duane Vermeulen.

Replacements: Bongi Mbonambi (for Marx, 66), Thomas du Toit (for Kitshoff, 58), Vincent Koch (for Malherbe, 58), Lood de Jager (for Snyman, 60), Francois Louw (for Kolisi, 66), Ivan van Zyl (for Papier, 78), Elton Jantjies (for De Allende, 56), Cheslin Kolbe (for Nkosi, 64).