Evan Roos raves about chat with Duane Vermeulen that means more to him than any rugby 'lesson'

While he still gleefully absorbs any on-field lessons he receives from Duane Vermeulen, Evan Roos can't tell you which one stands out for him.

Instead, the 22-year-old Stormers star, who's expected to earn a second Test cap when the Springboks take on Italy in Genoa on Saturday, draws his biggest inspiration from a pithy but powerful message the legendary No 8 sent him recently.

It meant so much to him that Roos wasted little time in informing his father, Erik, of a piece of correspondence that may yet pave the way for a successful international career. 

"I don't think I can highlight a 'lesson' I ever received from Duane," he said on Wednesday.

"Him and I chatted recently and he told me he'd always have my back. That's obviously a massive thing to hear coming from a player of his calibre and one of my heroes growing up.

"I almost immediately phoned my dad and told him about the message I'd just received. Of course, the normal technical stuff that he shares is very valuable, but that short message meant so much.

"It puts me at so much ease that a guy of that stature is backing me."

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That sense of camaraderie and healthy competition is a dynamic that runs through the whole group of loose forwards.

"There are quality players in the squad. Duane, who isn’t here, is such a role model and I have learned so much from Jasper [Wiese] and Kwagga [Smith] as well," said Roos."It's nice that the competition is there, but it's also a situation where you learn from each other. I'm still young, I still have a lot to learn. I'm only 22 now, so I am just trying to take everything in.

"If I get the chance, then I will try to make the full use of it and play to