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The Rassie Erasmus verdict on the Siya Kolisi to Sharks speculation
By Liam Heagney
Springboks head coach Rassie Erasmus has confirmed that Siya Kolisi will soon be unveiled as a Sharks player for the 2024/25 club season. It was last Friday when RugbyPass exclusively reported that the double Rugby World Cup-winning captain would be leaving Racing 92 following just a single season in the French capital with the Durban-based Sharks, his old club, the likely destination.
Four days after that revelation, Erasmus has now admitted that Kolisi is indeed on his way back to the Kings Park franchise he left at the end of the 2022/23 URC campaign.
Tuesday’s Springboks media briefing in Brisbane ahead of next Saturday’s Rugby Championship opener away to Australia was 25 minutes old when Erasmus took a final online question in English, the first query put to him at the team announcement press session about the 33-year-old he had just named to captain the Test side versus the Wallabies.
“Siya Kolisi is rumoured to be coming back to South Africa,” began a journalist. “A while back, you said it would be ideal to have the national captain to be based in the country. What are your thoughts on Siya coming back to South Africa?”
After initially making a gag about Kolisi’s agent nagging and nagging, Erasmus set aside his joking and said: “Siya really wants to come back. Obviously it’s a Sharks decision and then we obviously back it up if we want to support something like that. So obviously when they asked us, we’re supporting 100 per cent and it’s lovely to have him. They will obviously officially announce it.
“They asked us to join up in the conversation if we want him back and our answer was yeah, obviously. It’s nice to have your captain in your country but I am not quite sure how far the deal is or if the Sharks have signed him and when it’s announced. But yes, we know about it and we are happy about it.”
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Latest Comments
Nah hes a journeyman. Right call
Go to commentsAgreed for the most part. And perhaps Dmac needed a period were he is the 'Hobson's choice' too.
Yes and no, they main concern I had from the situation is Razor didn't really explain why they had developed differing opinions, had he? I've seen too many things happen in life to jump the gun. Fall all we know it was a locked in choice before they found the difference last year and played out this year to see if they were recoverable. I can certainly see where it would be a valid criticism to suggest he spent too much time reviewing his players tripping overseas and not enough work with his team at that time. But things like Tony Brown not even being contacted in the lead up to the naming of the squad are endemic in the union, and for much just as much blame should be laid on someone like Wayne Smith. Some like Mitch would have been aval at the same time too I'd think.
Ultimately I see MacDs time at the Blues much as I saw Ian Fosters time at the Chiefs. Heavily overshadowed by their successors but you could find something good in there if you wanted. Same here. This will play out.
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