When Vincent Koch put pen to paper to sign for Saracens from the Pumas in 2016, he did so thinking he still had a shot at playing for the Springboks.
On loan at the Stormers during their Super Rugby campaign that year, Koch made his Bok debut against New Zealand the year before.
But even after moving to England to play for Saracens, he represented the Boks in seven Tests that year.
Then in 2017, the South African Rugby Union (Saru) introduced the 30-cap rule that wouldn’t allow players with fewer caps to play for the national team.
Koch was lost to SA rugby.
That’s until the rule change under Rassie Erasmus and Koch got a call back to the national team after a two-year absence.
Of his time in the Bok wilderness, Koch says: “As a South African guy you want to play for the Boks.
“It was an emotional time, but I settled in there [at Saracens] and just enjoyed my rugby.”
Returning to the national squad, Koch knows it will be tough to earn a starting spot with Frans Malherbe slowly regaining the form that has made him one of the best in this position and Wilco Louw also proving a worthy number two.
Of the competition in the squad ahead of Saturday’s Rugby Championship clash against Australia in Port Elizabeth, Koch says: “It’s a good problem to have.
“We have a group of tightheads that are world class, any coach of any team would love that.
“We are going to push each other to the next level, and it brings out the best in the player.”
Koch believes his time in England made him a better player and person.
He says: “It’s my third season overseas and I’ve grown as a player. I became more mature.
“They taught me that to work harder, something I lacked previously.
“I just wanted to learn a bit more - as a prop [England’s] not a bad place to go and learn.
“For me it was a great move to go learn as a player.”