Michael Rhodes on switching allegiances, answering his critics and singing the national anthem

The unfamiliar sight of seeing Rhodes in an England shirt could become a possibility next weekend, having been included by Eddie Jones in his 36-man squad for the Quilter Internationals

Michael Rhodes opens up ahead of next week's clash with South Africa (Getty)

Michael Rhodes hit back at critics of his England call-up by claiming his commitment cannot be questioned, with the South African determined to do everything in his power to help his adopted nation beat his home one.

The unfamiliar sight of seeing Rhodes in an England shirt could become a possibility next weekend, having been included by Eddie Jones in his 36-man squad for the Quilter Internationals after qualifying for selection on residential rules. Yet those who believe that three years is not long enough to justify switching allegiances will only have their rage fuelled by the fact that Rhodes will likely make his debut against the country of his birth.

With the Vunipola brothers Billy and Mako, Joe Launchbury, Chris Robshaw and Nathan Hughes all unavailable, England risk lacking the grunt needed in the pack to take on the Springboks, as the summer series showed so clearly. That could open the door for Rhodes to come straight into the starting line-up, with the Saracens back-row boasting a frame that is nearly two metres tall and with plenty of meat on the bones for good measure, plus the added bonus of being able to play on both sides of the scrum.

But how will he fare with the criticism that will inevitably come his way if he is selected?

“I am going to play as hard and committed as possible to winning the game,” Rhodes said. “To those people, I would say that my goal is to win rugby games with England. If they are supporting the team, then the winning is what they should be concerned about. As I say, when it comes down to commitment, there should be no doubt where my commitment lies.”

There may not be any faults in his commitment, but there will be things that are completely knew to the 30-year-old if he plays; wearing the red rose for the first time, having the majority of the 82,000 crowd behind you, and singing the national anthem that he has never had to sing before.

Then there’s the prospect of staring down the players that he once dreamed would be his teammates – and many of whom are still his friends.

“We’ll wait to see if I make the side and then I’ll start thinking about things like that,” Rhodes says of the need to sing God Save The Queen next weekend. “I haven’t really thought about what it would be like to be stood there. I don’t want to jinx myself.”

But the prospect of playing against his former colleagues has already cropped up in his head. “I’ve thought about that. Over here and back there you tend to play against your mates quite a lot. I know it will be different playing international rugby but if I did get selected I could potentially play against Vincent Koch who I’m teammates with at Saracens. It’s quite funny how it works out. Hopefully we’ll play hard and then catch up afterwards.”

Of course, Rhodes grew up dreaming of wearing the famous green Springboks jersey, and he is man enough to admit that he did not rise through the ranks of the Natal Sharks, Golden Lions and Western Province with the end goal of wearing an England shirt. But he is also man enough to reveal that his Springboks dream died when he left South Africa to join Saracens in 2015, which ultimately began the journey that now sees him eligible for England.

“It was quite a gradual development,” Rhodes explained. “I never came over here to play for England and I left my international aspirations in South Africa when I left there. I can’t remember who first mentioned it and I didn’t even know there was the three-year qualification, and then it was brought up and I sort of brushed it off, sort of ‘I’m only 18 months into my first contract here, it’s a long way away’ but then just gradually got mentioned more and more.

Michael Rhodes in training during England’s warm-weather camp (Getty Images)

“Eventually I made the first camp when I qualified. It wasn’t a decision I made in terms of ‘oh I want to play for England’, as most English players would have because that was never on the table when I first moved here or thought of moving here. It’s just something that’s developed over time, and here I am, so it’s worked out well I guess.”

His decision gives England yet another foreign import in their back-row ranks, with Brad Shields switching allegiance from New Zealand to England earlier this year thanks to his English parents while Nathan Hughes rejected the call from Fiji in order to join the team on residential grounds.

But it also means the opponents – and in particular the Springboks squad – will have all the ammunition they need to try and get under his skin.

““That could well happen. Things like that do happen on the pitch,” Rhodes added. “I don’t know how I would react in the game but those type of things don’t tend to affect me too much. In any club games I’ve played, I have just focused on doing my job. The chirp and the chat is part of the game.

“They might try to niggle and get under my skin but I think I can just ignore that and can get on with the game. I’m not perfect but I’d like to think I can block that out especially if I anticipate it coming if I were to make the side.”

Rhodes has made his decision, now Jones must make his. The likelihood is that Rhodes’ ability to cover lock as well as six and seven will see him retained in the 25-man squad on Tuesday, and it also appears likely that he will feature in the matchday squad too. Where? That is up for Jones to decide, but it’s clear that Rhodes is more than happy to be in the mix.