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South African URC player of the season crowned after initial snub by Rassie
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Embrose Papier’s remarkable resurgence has been recognised with the Vodacom United Rugby Championship’s South African Player of the Season award, just months after the scrum-half was overlooked by Rassie Erasmus for the first Springboks alignment camp of the year.
The 29-year-old has been one of the standout performers in the competition this season, helping drive the Bulls to a semi-final and forcing his way back into the Springbok conversation after spending almost eight years in the international wilderness.
Papier’s omission from Erasmus’ initial alignment camp raised eyebrows given his form, but the Bulls No.9 was eventually recalled to the Bok set-up for the second camp last month.
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The winner was selected through votes from Springbok coaches, the four South African franchise coaches and broadcasters, underlining the widespread recognition of his influence throughout the season.
Papier crossed for nine tries during the regular season before adding another two in the Bulls’ quarter-final victory over Munster, where he collected the player of the match award.
Having won seven Test caps in 2018, Papier has not featured for the Springboks since, but with a number of South African scrum-halves injured, his Test exile could potentially come to an end in July when the Boks face England, Scotland and Wales.
“I just kept working. I knew I could still do it. It was just little things I had to work on,” Papier said.
“I have become a lot calmer over the years and started making better decisions on the field.
“In the past, I used to just pass a lot and see what happens. But now I analyse teams.
“The more experience you gain, the better decisions you make. You can see when the forwards are going forward or being tackled backwards, then you know when to make the ball slow or fast.”
Elsewhere in the URC awards, Ulster prop Angus Bell claimed Try of the Season for his stunning solo effort against Cardiff Rugby, while the Bulls also picked up the Innovation Award for their ‘Where Rugby Meets Entertainment’ matchday initiative.
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