With days looming closely ahead of the Springbok’s eagerly anticipated match against Ireland this weekend, Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has been clear and concise in conveying his intentions concerning Siya Kolisi’s involvement with the national team.
At a press conference held on Wednesday, Rassie was questioned by members of the media on whether Siya Kolisi would retain his spot in the national team against Ireland and if there was any chance that he would be leading the team if this is indeed the case.
This comes after the two-time World Cup-winning captain was omitted from the match-day squad when the Boks played against Wales recently, which saw Pieter-Steph du Toit lead the team.
In response to the question, Rassie commented:
“Siya will be captain.”
“Siya will play six flank, and he is fit and has no issues or injury, and Siya is not fat, and Siya is not transparent.”
His comments come at a time when Siya faced much criticism from the president of Racing 92, Jacky Lorenzetti.
Jacky recently criticised Siya’s performances since making a move to France after the 2023 World Cup. He added that while he may have had a good start initially, his performance has since deteriorated, and he is not doing a good job of filling the shoes of one of the club’s previous back rowers players.
At the time he said:
“The injury layoff was harmful to him. He gained weight, lost shape, and yesterday against Bordeaux he was transparent.
“In the back-row, we used to have an ultra-present warrior, a warrior called Wenceslas Lauret. For the moment, Siya is not making us forget Wenceslas. But we think that next year, that will change.”
Also see: Siya Kolisi faces criticism from Racing 92 owner Jacky Lorenzetti | Bona Magazine
