Rassie Erasmus has proven he is an out of the box thinker and could already be preparing Siya Kolisi for a future coaching role.
Erasmus plans and prepares meticulously for any future scenarios in a creative and innovative way.
The double World Cup winning coach Springbok coach often looks at things from a different perspective approaching situations with an open mind, thinking unconventionally.
When he named his group of 23 players for Saturday’s crucial Rugby Championship clash against Los Pumas in Santiago del Estero, the name of his captain Siya Kolisi was missing.
If the Boks win the match, they will win their first Rugby Championship title since 2019.
Erasmus surprisingly revealed that Kolisi will be with him in the coaching box on Saturday.
@SiyaKolisi in the coaches' box against Argentina. @RassieRugby @Springboks @lospumas
Read the full story here: https://t.co/uNLtJqpAA3— Adnaan Mohamed (@Adnaan1111) September 17, 2024
When asked why Kolisi was not included in the match day 23 even though he travelled all the way to South America, Erasmus responded by saying: “Siya was brought here not to play, but to be on standby if somebody gets injured as well as to lead the team off the field whilst we are preparing for this important game. It was always the plan that he wouldn’t play.”
“The one thing we also want to do is to get Siya into the coaches box because we have Duane [Vermeulen] on the sideline to relay the messages to Siya on the field. He actually doesn’t know what is actually happening in that coaches box.
“We want him [Kolisi] to see how we come to a decision, how we get the messages down so that he also understands the process. From the coaches box, to Rene [Naylor the physiotherapist] and to the Doc [Jerome Mampane] on the side.
“I think the moment Duane sat there two years ago, he had a better understanding of how to interpret information. We hope to get the same with Siya this week,” explained Erasmus.
This seems to indicate that Erasmus could be earmarking Kolisi for a role similar to Vermeulen in the future, if for some reason his 33-year-old captain’s body doesn’t hold-up until the Rugby World Cup in Australia in 2027.
It’s perhaps why the Bok coach also shed more light on why he chose the 26-year-old Salmaan Moerat [10 caps] to skipper the side even though there are more experienced leaders in the squad with players like Eben Etzebeth [32 years and 125 caps] as well as Handre Pollard [30 years and 72 caps] at his disposal.
“As a whole group I think we have the right players on the bus with a couple of guys who are still injured coming back,” said Erasmus.
“Salmaan brings something very special to the party. For me he brings a real calmness. He doesn’t get excited, but he stays physical.
“He tackles, defends and scrums really well. He mauls and stops mauls well.
“He is maybe not that dynamic in his carries, but he is really working hard on it.
“With that aggression we get from him as a front lock, we also get a calmness, the way he talks with the referee and the way he manages the team with Polly [Pollard] at the back being the vice-captain.
“It’s a really mature way [of captaining the side] and it’s something that we all enjoy,” explained Erasmus.
Erasmus also clarified that Kolisi will be available for selection for the return match against Argentina at the Mbombela Stadium next week, after which he will attend to his broken nose.
????️ Rassie Erasmus explains why Siya Kolisi will be in the coaches’ box on Saturday against Argentina. #ARGvRSA #RugbyChampionship pic.twitter.com/MdYETsTez3
— Jared Wright (@jaredwright17) September 17, 2024
“He can still play next week at Mbombela and then get his nose reset,” Erasmus said.
“It can be done no longer than between four and six weeks, so he’s in that time frame. He will get it sorted after the Test at Mbombela.”
