Springboks defence guru picks out the ‘brilliant’ Bok star who is a ‘coach on the field’
Jerry Flannery has hailed flanker Kwagga Smith for his ability to coach his teammates.
Springboks assistant Jerry Flannery has hailed flanker Kwagga Smith for his ability to coach his teammates on the pitch.
Flannery joined Rassie Erasmus’ coaching staff to fill the void of Jacques Nienaber following the latter’s departure to join Leinster’s set-up.
The Irishman has impressed in the role so far with the Springboks notably holding the All Blacks scoreless in the clash in Cape Town.
“There’s something special about it”
The Bok assistant has praised Erasmus’ ability to get the most out of his players particularly with the senior players taking ownership.
“Coming from Munster and Ireland, I’m used to tradition and hierarchy and coming into a team and feeling as though there’s something special about it,” Flannery told the Telegraph.
“That’s how Munster always felt to me and the Springboks feels very much like that.
“Because you have someone like Eben [Etzebeth], who’s becoming the most capped Springbok of all time, and because him and Siya [Kolisi] are so tight, it’s like they are always trying to protect what is special about the Springboks. Rassie obviously sets the tone, but if the players don’t drive it, it’s never going to set in.”
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Coach Kwagga
One of the players that Flannery picked that also drives the standards is flanker Smith who played a pivotal role in the Springboks’ Rugby World Cup success in 2023.
The livewire back-rower has become a regular feature off the bench for the Boks and produced stellar performances in the World Cup knockout matches.
The loose forward has been heralded for his rugby IQ and Flannery has added his voice to the choir singing his praises.
“If you talk to Kwagga Smith, man, that guy’s a coach,” he said.
“He is 100 per cent a coach on the field. He covers so many positions, he’s always aware, he’s always coaching people around him when he plays and he’s such an unassuming guy.
“You’d walk past him in the street and you might not know he’s a professional rugby player because he’s not much taller than me. He’s not a behemoth, just a brilliant, brilliant rugby player. Kwagga is a guy that really stands out.
“There’s a wave of talent coming through in South Africa, but I think Eben and Siya, to me, are who will protect what is special about the Springboks. They are driving the messages about serving the team as much as Rassie is.”
While Smith could go into coaching when he hangs up his boots, Boks captain Kolisi won’t be following suit after his stint in the coaches’ box during the Rugby Championship clash against Argentina.
