Springbok captaincy question leaves Robbie Fleck flummoxed

As a 31-cap Springbok centre, Robbie Fleck could sidestep the best of them.

But there is no getting around the vexed issue of who is the best person to replace Siya Kolisi as Springbok captain.

Kolisi might have bought himself more time as Springbok leader now that he has decided to cut short his stay in Paris with Racing 92 and return home.

But uncertainty remains over when head coach Rassie Erasmus will call time on his glorious reign and bring in a new man to lead them forward to the next Rugby World Cup.

Double Rugby World Cup-winning captain Kolisi will be 36 by the time Australia 2027 comes around, and while Fleck believes the flanker can still be in the squad, he is at a loss to explain who will be wearing the armband instead of him.

Never one to be short of words or an opinion, Fleck took an age to answer Boks Office's stand-in presenter Jean de Villiers’ question over who that man might be,

“I don’t know, I genuinely don’t know who the standout individual in that group is,” he said after a period of deliberation.

“It’s so well led by him and the senior group; I don’t think there is a standout individual for me at the moment that can take over.

“There is no point in having another senior guy take over if Siya is there, surely you should start earmarking a young talented guy.

“Salmaan Moerat is a guy they are thinking of as a future potential captain but it is too early for me that he takes over the captaincy, you’ve got to be guaranteed a starting spot and in three years’ time is he going to be ready to captain the Springboks? That is the debate.

“But who is that guy that takes over. If it is another senior guy like an Eben (Etzebeth) then you might as well keep Siya as the captain.”

As RugbyPass exclusively revealed over the weekend, Kolisi is all set to return to the Sharks after an unhappy spell in France’s Top 14.

And Fleck, who made a young Kolisi captain of the Stormers when he coached the Durban-based team, believes the rumoured 18million rand it will take to make the deal happen is a price worth paying.

“I think bringing him back to South Africa is the right call, he’s a leader of our team and of the people," he said.

“You could see in the beginning when he went to Paris he was engaging with the fans and he did a very good job, and there was something different that he was trying to create there.

“I would have thought he would have seen out another year, but after a year he is coming back and I think it is the right thing for South African rugby and for Siya.

“These are his people, he is a family man, he is comfortable here, and I am sure his family are keen to get back here as well.”

South African national rugby player Rassie Erasmus (2nd L) speaks with teammate Robbie Fleck as they, and Werner Swanepoel (2nd R) and Bob Skinstad, get ready for a training session at the Bank of England rugby stadium in southwest London, 26 October 1999. The Springboks will meet Australia in a Rugby World Cup semi-final match 30 October at Twickenham stadium in London. (ELECTRONIC IMAGE) (Photo by Odd ANDERSEN / AFP) (Photo by ODD ANDERSEN/AFP via Getty Images)

Fleck added: “I am surprised, though, that he is going back to the Sharks. I understand there may be some business connections or whatever the case may be, to go to the Sharks, why he originally went there. But I would have thought that his comfort and his home is Cape Town, that’s where he started his career (at The Stormers) and that is where his family is from.”

When asked about his chances of maintaining his form and fitness long enough to feature at the next Rugby World Cup, Fleck was unequivocable in his response, believing Kolisi’s experience will be invaluable moving forward as South Africa not only chase an unprecedented hat-trick of titles but also the Test record for most consecutive wins by a leading nation.

“I definitely do (think he’ll make it), Rassie has hinted about the captaincy and everything, but Siya has still got a crucial role, and not just from a performance point of view between the four white lines, it’s outside, it’s in the changing room that counts, and that’s where I feel Siya still adds so much value.

“He had an unbelievable series against Ireland, so he is still performing, that’s not an issue. If he can back from an injury like he did so quickly then his body is still primed and ready play at a  high level.

“You need an experienced campaigner and a leader like that in our group to go for that third World Cup.”

The record for the most consecutive wins by a leading nation is 18, shared by New Zealand (2015-16) and England (2015-17).

South Africa head into the latest edition of The Rugby Championship with a winning streak of just one, having beaten Portugal 64-21 in their last outing.

“I was actually thinking about what is Rassie’s next challenge, and this group’s next challenge," said Fleck.

“Obviously, they want to win three World Cups in a row but also that unbeaten Test (record), and that is something this group is certainly capable of doing with the experience they have got and the youngsters they have got coming through. That may be something that they are also talking about on the sidelines.

“They have won against the British and Irish Lions, they have won two World Cups, they’ve done well against the so-called number one side in the world (Ireland), so what’s their next challenge?

“I would definitely be having those conversations with the players because there is a legacy that has been created for this group.”