Bok leadership group impressive Proudfoot
Springbok forwards coach Matt Proudfoot is pleased with the experienced group of leaders in the squad as the South Africans prepare for the upcoming Rugby Championship and World Cup later in 2019.
The Boks begin their quest for the Rugby Championship when they host Australia at Ellis Park on Saturday.
Coach Rassie Erasmus will be without injured captain Siya Kolisi and the responsibility of leading the team will fall on one of Pieter-Steph du Toit‚ Eben Etzebeth‚ Malcolm Marx‚ Steven Kitshoff‚ Tendai Mtawarira or Lood de Jager.
Du Toit‚ Etzebeth‚ Marx‚ Kitshoff and Mtawarira have led their teams at Super Rugby level and Proudfoot said it is pleasing to have so many players who can assume the leadership role.
“You look at Steven Kitshoff‚ Malcolm Marx‚ Eben‚ PSTD [Du Toit] and Beast [Mtawarira]‚ there are a lot of players who have been leaders for their franchises in Super Rugby. Now it is for someone to take the leadership role on his shoulders until Siya is ready.
“We have been really pleased with the way he [Kolisi] is coming back and progressing.”
But Proudfoot conceded that Kolisi’s absence will affect the balance of the back row.
“Balance is important and how you pick a back row is indicative of how you want to control the flow of the game‚” he said. “He [Kolisi] is an exceptional leader. He has grown very well in the role and I have known him since he was 19.”
Proudfoot is also glad to have Bulls lock De Jager back in contention after a long injury lay-off. “I was delighted to see him get 55 minutes for the Bulls in Currie Cup at the weekend‚” he said. “He played well and he was solid on the line-out.”
Proudfoot said the Boks would not call up a replacement for injured wing Aphiwe Dyantyi as they have sufficient cover in the camp in Johannesburg. A hamstring injury has ruled him out of the opening weeks of the Rugby Championship.
“Aphiwe injured his hamstring at training on Friday‚” he said. “He will see a specialist to get an update on that.
“Whatever the specialist advises us on‚ we will phase him back into the team. But he is definitely out of the start.
“We are not bringing anyone in because we have confidence in the other four wingers who are with us in camp.”