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Cape Town - Francois Louw looks set to feature in the first four rounds of this year's Rugby Championship, Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has confirmed.
Louw and the other overseas-based players in the Springbok squad will be managed carefully, it seems, with reports last week suggesting that Faf de Klerk (Sale) and Willie le Roux (Wasps) would also be used sparingly during the competition.
But, listening to Erasmus speak in Durban on Monday, it looks like the Boks will have Louw fully available for the first four rounds of the competition.
That would see him play in the home and away legs against Argentina as well as the away trips to Australia and New Zealand.
"The understanding with him and his club is that we will have him from the beginning of the Rugby Championship," Erasmus said.
"There are not arrangements, but there are understandings. We can have the guys available in every single Test match, but we also want to be reasonable and make sure that the guys stay positive.
"A guy like Flo is so keen to play for the Boks, from last year already. I think in the first four games we'll use him as much as we can, and let guys like Cyle (Brink) and Marco (Van Staden) learn as much from him as possible."
The mentoring role, Erasmus added, was a major part of Louw's overall value to the Boks.
"Flo is more than ready for that job. We've spoken to the other players and they must suck up everything he can give to them ... everyone has bought into it," Erasmus said.
