Rassie contacts Lambie
Flyhalf Lambie is set to start in the Champions Cup Final in Bilbao as Racing Metro seek to secure a first European title against three-time winners Leinster.
After some outstanding performances in Europe this year, there is a possibility that Lambie could feature for the Boks in the three-Test series against England in June.
Despite being an overseas player, he comfortably makes the 30-cap limit for selection.
"I would love to play for them again and go to the World Cup next year. I realised moving overseas was maybe going to make it more difficult to play for the Springboks even though there is the 30 Tests rule," said Lambie who would face competition for a starting place from Handre Pollard.
"I know there's the pressure to select locally-based players. If I get selected that would be wonderful. [Coach] Rassie Erasmus has made contact but not in the last few weeks. Will wait and see what happens – winning one or two titles would help… I'm sure!"
Meanwhile, Lambie aims to give Daniel Carter a winning European send-off from his French club career in Saturday's Champions Cup final even if it means leaving the All Blacks legend warming the bench.
Carter was part of the Racing team which lost the 2016 final to Saracens before earning a degree of redemption with a man-of-the-match performance in the 29-21 Top 14 final victory over Toulon a few weeks later.
"It's really nice to have him on the same side and to have trained and played with him, seen how he does things and speak to him about the game and life outside rugby as well," Lambie told AFP of a player who will head for a club career in Japan at the end of this season.
The San Mamés Stadium tucked up last night. 💡🌱🏉#ChampionsCup #Bilbao2018 pic.twitter.com/ejnv2RWokZ
— Champions Cup (@ChampionsCup) May 9, 2018
Lambie insists he has some sympathy for Carter, who will again be poised to play a 'super-sub' role for Racing on Saturday just as he did to devastating effect in the quarterfinal win over Clermont.
"I don't think we have ever had a problem with our relationship because I have played at centre with him at flyhalf and at fullback with him at flyhalf and I have been on the bench with him at flyhalf," said Lambie.
"These are his last games – there's a lot to play for. I know this is a huge desire of his to win the Champions Cup and I'm sure he wants to win the Top 14 again as well."
Whereas Carter joined Racing in 2015, after his 112th and final international saw him lead the All Blacks to a successful World Cup defence, Lambie is in his first season in Paris having left his boyhood team the Sharks in South Africa last year.
Comfortable at fullback, centre and flyhalf, Lambie has played 17 times this season with two tries and 60 points to his name.
Carter has had 16 starts, 56 points with the boot but yet to cross the tryline for the Paris giants.
"When I arrived I hadn't played in five or six months. I was really lucky that Racing slowly introduced me to game time," said Lambie, already a 56-cap Springboks veteran.
"I got to play fullback, some games at centre and some at flyhalf so I have really had a good progression and been able to develop a good understanding of how Racing like to play."
With Racing in the European Cup final and already assured of a place in the Top 14 semifinals, Lambie is acutely aware that he could have easily ended up in England rather than France.
"We made the decision to have a change and get out of South Africa and come overseas. I had not really thought of France as an option, because I have a British passport and I always thought I would be going to England or Ireland or Scotland or Wales.
"But then my agent started to ask a few questions and then Racing was a possibility and it felt right from the beginning and it made me very excited."
Agence France-Presse
