Allister Coetzee says the time spent with Curwin Bosch during a pre-season camp in Stellenbosch convinced him of his ability to step up to Springbok level, writes CRAIG LEWIS in Port Elizabeth.

Bosch is set to make his Bok debut off the bench in this Saturday’s opening Rugby Championship Test against Argentina, with Coetzee confirming that the youngster would be covering both flyhalf and fullback.

It shouldn’t be overlooked that Bosch is effectively stepping into a utility role that was previously filled by World Cup winner and 56 Test-cap Springbok Frans Steyn during the June series against France.

The fact that the Boks have seen fit to turn to the 20-year-old not only speaks volumes about his prodigious talent, but also points to a long-term investment that also undoubtedly has the 2019 World Cup in mind.

Just two years ago, Bosch was strutting his stuff for Grey High School, but his meteoric rise has seen him star for the Junior Boks at two Junior World Championships, while establishing himself as a first-choice regular at the Sharks.

This season, Bosch slotted seamlessly into the flyhalf role in the absence of the injured Pat Lambie, while he has also proven himself to be a more than capable performer at fullback.

With Bosch soon recognised as undoubtedly one of the brightest young prospects on the South African rugby horizon, it quickly became a talking point whether he was ready to be elevated to the Springbok set-up.

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At Thursday’s press conference in Port Elizabeth, Coetzee said that question was answered for him during an assessment camp at the Stellenbosch Academy of Sport earlier this year.

‘At the time we didn’t have a good picture of his general play as a flyhalf, it wasn’t just about his skill levels, but his communication too. However, what I quickly saw is that he is very mature for such a young guy, and he has a sense of confidence, which we need to unlock. I’m very happy with what I’ve seen, and that’s why he’s been afforded this opportunity.’

It remains to be seen just how much game-time Bosch will be afforded off the bench this Saturday, but Coetzee suggested they would have no fear in backing him to come on at flyhalf or fullback should the need arise.

‘Curwin is a wonderful young talent, and it’s our responsibility as coaches to manage him properly. He is a prolific goal-kicker, and will definitely cover both 10 and 15. We had that luxury with Frans Steyn, so Curwin is an ideal selection on the bench.’

And although Handré Pollard has been involved extensively in Bok training this week as he comes to the end of his injury rehabilitation, Coetzee suggested he was only likely to be considered for selection after next Saturday’s Test in Argentina.

‘We need to have the necessary depth in all positions, and certainly at flyhalf, with Pat Lambie unfortunately unavailable. So it’s really good to have Handré back in the mix. He’s looking really good at this point, and in a crisis situation I would have even looked at selecting him. However, there’s an opportunity now to give him another couple of weeks to continue working on his conditioning. He’s looking sharp and he has all the skills needed.’

Photo: Michael Sheehan/Gallo Images