Jasper Wiese's six-match ban has come at an inopportune time for the player hoping to re-establish his Test credentials.
The ban rules him out of the one-off Test against Wales, but crucially too the two-Test series against Ireland in July.
In his farewell match for Leicester Tigers last weekend before moving to Japan later in the year, Wiese was red-carded against Exeter Chiefs. The stocky No 8 received his marching orders after contravening World Rugby Law 9.18 by lifting an opponent off the ground and dropping or driving the player so their head and/or upper body made contact with the ground.
In the subsequent Premiership disciplinary hearing, Wiese, despite pleading guilty, was shown no leniency given his previous brushes with the game's laws.
His ban effectively rules him out of the Test against Wales, the two against Ireland, the inaugural clash against Portugal and the two-Test trip to Australia in the Rugby Championship.
Wiese, who came on as a substitute in the Springboks' last Test — the Rugby World Cup final against New Zealand last year, would have been eyeing a return to the starting team after Duane Vermeulen's retirement.
Wiese, who made his debut against Georgia in 2021, was groomed to be Vermeulen's successor and he initially warmed to that task. His position, however, increasingly came under threat as he proved less effective in the Tests he started against Ireland in Dublin in 2022, New Zealand in Auckland last year and the RWC pool matches against Scotland in Marseille and Ireland in Paris.
Wiese is a dynamic ball carrier and he packs a punch in defence, but those elements were in short supply in the Tests that mattered.
Crucially, his stock took a dip during the RWC. He failed to convince against Scotland in the Springboks' opening match and also fell short of expectations in their defeat in the pool stages against Ireland.
While he started against Tonga, he was deemed surplus to requirements for the knock-out matches against France and England. He came on as a substitute in the nerve-jangling final against the All Blacks.
With Vermeulen having departed the scene, the Test against Wales and the series against Ireland would have provided Wiese the platform to reassert himself in the Green and Gold.
That opportunity is now lost and it presents the Bok brains with a mild concern. Wiese has 27 Test caps and the players next in line, should they opt not to deploy the versatile Kwagga Smith in the No 8 jersey, are inexperienced.
Roos, who has five Test caps, is the last player other than Vermeulen and Wiese to start in the No 8 jersey for the Springboks. On that occasion he rose to the challenge against England as the Boks ran out 27-13 winners at Twickenham.
Two weeks earlier, Smith was thrust into a starting role from the back of the scrum against France in a match of fire and brimstone in Marseille.
Roos has also come into his stride for the Stormers in the United Rugby Championship but some pundits may harbour concerns about his brushes with the law. He plays with bone-rattling physicality and that at times invites the officials' scrutiny.
While Roos will likely play No 8 against Ireland, the return to form of Elrigh Louw (three caps) and the emergence of the uncapped Cameron Hanekom have not gone unnoticed. The Bulls' duo have been instrumental in the Pretoria side's march to the top of the South African Shield in the URC.
That may also prove their curse as their Bok prospects are inextricably linked to the Bulls' fortunes in the URC. Should the Bulls make it to the final they will miss the Test against Wales which is scheduled for the same day.
Roos, by the time the Ireland series comes around two weeks later, could find the Bok jersey a comfortable fit.
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