Erasmus hints at replacing Kolisi as Bok captain
The days of Siya Kolisi leading the Springboks players onto the field may soon be a thing of the past.
Springbok head coach Rassie Erasmus said on Tuesday that although Siya Kolisi is playing excellent rugby for Racing 92 in France, and will be considered for this year’s Tests, he will phase out some of the older players in the build-up to the next World Cup.
Eighteen of the Boks who won last year’s World Cup in France are over 30, with Kolisi now 32.
Erasmus says he prefers to have his captain playing in South Africa to allow for more interaction.
At the same time, Erasmus said the Springboks cannot afford to rest on their laurels.
“As we said before last year’s tournament, there was no way that we would be successful if we kept doing things in the same way.
“We need to evolve our game once more, as teams will definitely have looked at how we play and how they think they can stop us.
“We’ve also had a close look at how we need to develop as a team and what the coaching and management groups need to look like to support the players.
The Boks’ new-look management team, which includes coaches Tony Brown and Jerry Flannery, will be first in action against Wales at Twickenham on 22 June.
“This is a watershed year for South African rugby with the off-field developments that are being discussed, and it’s our job to make sure that everything remains on track on the field,” said Erasmus.
“I’m excited about the coaching and management team we’ve put together and really looking forward to getting out there once again.”
