Springboks: Six players who can fill Siya Kolisi’s captaincy void

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Springboks captain Siya Kolisi’s participation in this year’s Rugby World Cup in France is in doubt after he sustained a knee injury.

The 2019 World Cup-winning captain suffered a knee injury against Munster in his final home game for the Sharks on Saturday.

It is reported that he could feature in the global tournament if he opts out of the recommended surgery, but even then, it will be touch and go for the World Cup.

It looks certain that he will miss most of the Rugby Championship at the very least.

Planet Rugby takes a look at who could skipper the Springboks in the case that Kolisi is unable to do so.

Handre Pollard  

The Springbok fly-half captained his country for the first time in July against Wales.

A respected voice in the Springbok set-up, Pollard is often listed as the side’s vice-captain.

He is no stranger to the captain’s armband either, having led the Bulls during his time in Pretoria and was the SA U20s captain in 2014.

His position in the starting line-up is under threat, but his uptick in form at Leicester Tigers catapults him firmly back into the conversation.

Lukhanyo Am

Offering a contrasting leadership style to Pollard is the soft-spoken centre.

Am is the cliche of leading from the front and one that would rely on his peers to be more vocal on the pitch.

Nevertheless, his role in the starting XV is nearly guaranteed, and he is a part of the leadership group.

He is certainly an option for the coaches, who handed him the armband for the South Africa ‘A’ clash with the British and Irish Lions in 2021.

In many ways, Am is a similar leader to Kolisi and would be close to a like-for-like replacement.

Pieter-Steph du Toit

The Springbok captain regularly comes from the pack, and although this is a left-field pick, Du Toit is a candidate.

In fact, Du Toit was the first Springbok captain Rassie Erasmus picked to lead the side, doing so in the 2018 Test against Wales in Washington.

The 2019 World Player of the Year has had his struggles with injury and then form but looked to be getting back to his best in November.

When fit and firing, Du Toit’s class is undeniable and is one of the best players in the game.

He is another player who would lead through his actions, but many Springbok captains have been the same in the past.

Duane Vermeulen

When Kolisi was ruled out of the 2019 Rugby Championship, it was Vermeulen who captained the side to success.

The 36-year-old might not be the first man on the teamsheet anymore, but he will undoubtedly leave nothing out on the pitch in his final year for the Boks.

While Jasper Wiese looks set to hold onto the starting number eight jersey, Vermeulen could be elevated back into the starting line-up to offset the loss of Kolisi.

He is also a near-certainty in the World Cup squad and will lead the side in one way or another on and off the pitch.

He could also play a vital role off the bench for the Boks and could take over the captaincy in the latter stages of matches.

Steven Kitshoff

After captaining the Stormers to their URC title last season, Kitshoff could well be in the mix.

Front-rowers, and more particularly props, don’t often captain Test teams nowadays as they don’t always play past the hour mark. But the Springboks regularly replaced Kolisi before the final whistle in 2019 and could have a replacement captain or stand-in on the bench or in the starting XV.

A regular in the Bok set-up, Kitshoff is among the best in his position in the world. Him captaining the side means he would have to start regularly for the side, ditching his bomb squad role.

If Vermeulen is on the bench, he and Kitshoff could effectively share the role throughout the 80 minutes.

Eben Etzebeth 

The Test centurion has captained South Africa on 12 occasions out of his 110 Test matches.

Admittedly just one of those times has come since Erasmus and Jacques Nienaber took over the Springboks – 2019 v Australia.

He captained the side mainly under Allister Coetzee, and the results at the time meant that his captaincy rein was frowned upon.

However, he is an incredibly influential player that commands respect and is a far more intelligent player than he is given credit for.

He is another leader in the side and one you’d expect not to shy away from the responsibility.

Verdict

Kolisi’s injury is a cruel blow for the player and a serious setback in the Springboks’ preparation for their title defence.

From a pure leadership point of view, there are capable replacements in Vermeulen and Pollard. The form of the pair has been questioned in recent Test windows, but they are more than capable of leading the side.

Am is the best of the rest, with his Test experience counting against him compared to the abovementioned candidates.

Du Toit and Kitshoff are long shots but players in the leadership group that could effectively captain the side in some way, even if they don’t have the official title.

Etzebeth has the respect of the playing group and is the most experienced, per Test caps, in the squad. He will be in the conversation, and his fitness will play a vital role in the decision.

Expect the Springbok coaches to leave the decision on who captains the side at the World Cup until the final hour, and it is confirmed that Kolisi will play no part in the defence of their title.

Relying on the leadership group and changing captains as they see fit in the build-up to the tournament will be their initial plan of action.

READ MORE: RANKED: The five most feared lock partnerships in Test rugby

Internationals Eben Etzebeth Siya Kolisi

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