Siya Kolisi will take a back seat – or a “demotion” as some rugby fans call it – as his best friend and colleague, Eben Etzebeth, takes his title as Springboks captain in their game against Scotland on Sunday, 10 November.
That’s because Siya has been placed on the bench – or “bomb squad” by coach Rassie Erasmus.
Eben is the Boks’ highest-capped player in history. Meanwhile, Siya will make his 89th test appearance for the squad.
RASSIE ON WHY SIYA KOLISI IS NOT SPRINGBOKS CAPTAIN
Speaking from Edinburgh, Rassie Erasmus explained the reasoning behind his complex line-up, including his 7-1 split. This included placing a few forwards – like Siya Kolisi on the bench. On the flip side, Kwagga Smith – who will be playing his 50th test – will move from the “bomb squad” to the starting line-up.
Rassie said in a press conference: “Kwagga is playing his 50th test. Whenever somebody is playing on a special occasion, we try to make it special for them.“When we decided to start him, we also decided to give a bunch of other players a start with an eye on the future. We know what the guys playing off the bench can do.
Hinting at Siya Kolisi’s “demotion,” he added: “Eben is naturally our captain because Siya is playing from the bench.”
It will be Siya’s first Bok appearance since the bombshell announcement.
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