Curwin Bosch will have the opportunity to reignite his Springboks career when the Bulls face the All Blacks in the third tour match of Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry this Saturday.
The 29-year-old utility back, who has won only two South Africa caps, was once widely viewed as a generational talent during his schoolboy career. Now, almost a decade after making his Test debut, Bosch is preparing for a rare chance to remind observers of the ability that once made him one of South Africa’s most highly rated young players.
Bosch made his Springboks debut as a substitute against Argentina on 19 August 2017, just a couple of months after his 19th birthday. He returned to the international side the following year, starting at fullback in the one-off Test against Wales in Washington.
However, his expected rise in the national team never materialised. His international career stalled after those two appearances, leaving him largely overlooked while he continued his club career with the Sharks and later in France.
He has now returned to South Africa after spending two seasons with Brive and has joined the Bulls. The move has brought him back to familiar surroundings, while also giving him an unusual opportunity to line up against the All Blacks.
Bosch told SARugbymag.co.za that it was “amazing to be back in South Africa” following his time in France.
“The two seasons I spent in France were really good for me, but there’s just no place like home. Even Pretoria, for me, feels like home.”
Before moving to Brive, Bosch had established himself as a regular at the Sharks, making more than 100 appearances for the Durban club in all competitions. He said, however, that leaving the team was necessary after becoming too settled in his surroundings.
“I started becoming too comfortable at the Sharks. It was a safe space for me. I knew everyone, I knew the whole of Durban. Sometimes it is hard to leave that comfort, but it was exactly what I needed.”
Bosch believes his spell in France helped him rediscover the freedom that had been central to his game when he was younger.
“The last couple of seasons in South Africa, I felt boxed in a little bit. That time in France freed me up, going back to almost how you used to play rugby at school. You see the space, and you play the space. That’s when I’m at my best.”
Although his international career has not developed as many expected, Bosch is now at an age when experience and maturity can complement his natural talent. He can operate at either fly-half or fullback, giving the Bulls valuable versatility as they prepare for their clash with the All Blacks.
Whether he is selected to play, and whether he can produce the performance required to revive his international prospects, remains to be seen. But after being largely out of sight during his time in France, Bosch now has a significant stage on which to show that his class has not disappeared.
