Saracens prop Vincent Koch says he has accepted the fact that he will not play for the Springboks in the near future due to SA Rugby’s overseas player policy.

The policy, which was approved in March and implemented in July, rules that only overseas-based South Africans with 30 or more Test caps are eligible for national selection.

Koch made his debut for the Springboks in 2015 while he was playing for the Stormers and has since earned nine Test caps.

He joined Saracens in 2016 and has emerged as the English club’s first-choice tighthead prop.

‘I was sad when the rule was put in place because every child would like to play for the Boks, even a kid me who went to a school without a long Springbok history,’ Koch told Rapport newspaper.

‘I haven’t played enough Test rugby and am definitely keen on playing more. I have the most wonderful memories of representing my country and I’m very proud of that.

‘I received a call a few weeks ago asking if I would be available to play for the Boks in an emergency and I said, of course,’ Koch revealed. ‘But the rule is now in place, so I probably won’t be considered until 2019. I have made peace with that.

‘I’m at Saracens because I want to become a better player and I can feel myself growing as a player. Hopefully that ensures that I won’t get forgotten at home.

‘We don’t know that the future holds, but everything will work out as it should.’

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