REPLACING KOLISI WON’T SCORE POINTS WITH FANS
CAN you imagine seeing a Springbok team without Siya Kolisi as the captain – or even a player?
Well, that unpleasant thought would have crossed the minds of all Bok fans this week after coach Rassie Erasmus mentioned it at a press conference in Cape Town.
Erasmus, in presenting his new assistant coaches Tony Brown and Jerry Flannery, was asked what the future holds for Kolisi after he stated that he would still want to use the “old dogs” in the crunch July Test series against Ireland.
But Erasmus added that the Boks have a system “where we gradually think okay, this papa is going to say goodbye”, and that he hopes to again have an average age of 29 or 30 in the Bok squad for the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia.
And that is where the Kolisi question came in, as he will turn 33 in June and be 36 at the 2027 tournament.
Erasmus said that he prefers to have a Bok captain who plays for a South African franchise, as it is easier to communicate and manage his playing workload accordingly.
Kolisi joined Parisian club Racing 92 after last year’s back-to-back World Cup triumph in France, and will already not be available for the first Bok Test of 2024 against Wales in London on June 22, as it is outside the prescribed international match window.
Erasmus said that he has to consider whether it is “doable” for Kolisi to continue as the Bok skipper, despite being based overseas. “I first have to suss it out, feel it out and see if it works or not,” the coach said.
Not having Kolisi as the Bok captain is just too dastardly to contemplate. The loose forward has become an icon in the sporting world, and has a presence and aura that inspires the rest of the players and the country.
His personal journey from Zwide township in the Eastern Cape to Springbok captain and double world champion is remarkable, and we don’t want it to end any time soon.
But rugby is also about the form of the player, so let’s hope Kolisi continues to play excellent rugby for his French club to convince Erasmus that he should remain the Bok leader.