Former South Africa captain Bobby Skinstad has laid down his pick, on who should captain the Springboks for the upcoming Summer fixtures. South Africa head coach Rassie Erasmus could well be looking to find a new man to don the gold and green armband, after skipper Siya Kolisi swapped the Durban based Sharks for a club career in Paris with Racing 92.
There is no outlying rule stating that Kolisi can not captain the ‘Boks, with numerous high profile members of the South African national side currently plying their trades across France and Japan respectively. However, the former Springbok skipper Bobby Skinstad believes that Rassie Erasmus could pick a captain from one of the South African clubs, and looks to his own former team of the Sharks for his ‘shoe-in’ pick.
“I mean, I have thought about this. In the modern era, the role of Captain is evolving so quickly, that there’s always different factors, I think you’ve got a fantastic shoe-in captain in Eben Etzebeth. I mean, you know, he’s been involved in the senior leadership, He’s a fantastic leader anyway, and he’s aligned with Rassie, aligned with the coaches aligned with what the Springboks want to achieve.
“He’s been involved in some very, very big games against Ireland and New Zealand recently, and knows the level of performance that you need to perform at the delivery of the level of performance that you need to win international Test matches. So if I was looking for a least disruptive path, and Siya (Kolisi) is not available and not playing, etcetera, then for me, it’s certainly a good option.”
The decision to back Etzebeth comes after the lock helped the Sharks make history in the EPCR Challenge Cup last Friday night. The titanic second rower was out in full force with some monstrous hits, as the Sharks put in a barnstorming performance to defeat Gloucester and claim the 2023/24 EPCR Challenge Cup title.
Skinstad was delighted to see his former club lift their maiden piece of elite silverware, in what ended the clubs 29 year search for a major title as the Sharks franchise. The Natal side had been to the Super Rugby final on four previous occasions, and each time came away with silver medals on their attempts, with the 36-22 win over the Cherry and Whites bringing with it their first major trophy.
The Sharks also take the mantle of becoming the first South African club to win an EPCR title, and Skinstad believes that this milestone win, will put an end to the conversation regarding the South African clubs competing in the tournaments. Skinstad called the Sharks performance ‘magnificent’, and spoke to RUCK in a recent BKT URC round table event:
“It was a magnificent performance, they were almost flawless. Their individuals really came to the party. I was very pleased for them. They delivered the performance when it was needed at the right time. After a difficult season, they will be really pleased with what they have been able to achieve.
“It means, despite all the losses in the league and the negativity around that, they are able to leapfrog into the Champions Cup. So they will be delighted and I bet you they will be very competitive at that level.
“If you look at the two finals on the weekend, I feel the Sharks, Leinster and Toulouse were on the same level. That’s got to be positive for the Sharks. They will feel they can be competitive home and away.”
“I think it’s fantastic and I am delighted. I have been an advocate for South Africa’s participation in these leagues for a long time. I have spoken before about how good it was for the Stormers to get to the top end of BKT URC. Winning an EPCR tournament is one level up again.
“It’s fantastic kudos to the Sharks to be the first South African team to do that. I think it’s an amazing achievement. It just absolutely proves the competition model that’s being tried is on its way to being one that is the best for all the teams that are participating.
“I love it. If the South African teams can compete at that level of EPCR rugby in general, we might have to change that name of just European rugby. It might have to be something to do with the hemispheres.”
“I have seen some completely unfounded comments about ‘Send the South Africans back to where they came from’. I think South Africa brings a lot to the table. It brings good, big, difficult matches.
“We are outsiders, we are latecomers, we are ‘Johnny Come Latelys’ in these tournaments. But, do you know what, we just won one of them and we have won the BKT URC already and been in the final. So I think we deserve our position.”
One side who is beginning to rue the EPCR competition is Leinster, after the Dubliners lost their third consecutive Champions Cup Final this past Saturday. Leo Cullen’s men were handed a 31-22 extra time defeat from Toulouse, as Antoine Dupont and co claimed an unprecedented sixth European star for the famous red and black jersey.
A strong majority of Leinster’s Champions Cup Final squad will soon be on tour to South Africa, as the Ireland embark on a two match series against the Springboks. Skinstad is excited to see the number one and two ranked sides in World Rugby collide this July, and expects to see an immensely fired up Irish team travel down to the Southern Hemisphere.
I expect a very fired up and very motivated Irish team. You know, they’ve got some bitter disappointment that they’ve had to swallow post World Cup. They obviously bounced back, and we’re very good in the domestic, European wide competitions at both at an international and club level (with Leinster). So that’s been good.
“The trophy cabinet at the moment is probably missing a few titles that they’d really like, and one is knocking some world champions off pedestals and I think they’ll be motivated to do that. I think at the same time that’s jeed up South Africa to prove that they don’t only operate around knockout tournaments like Rugby World Cups, they can actually domestically compete in the middle of the year.
“I think there’s a big factor that we haven’t all really noted yet, or I mean, it’s been commented on but not necessarily brought to the fore, is that is that South Africa, are evolving into a northern hemisphere season. In terms of when we play rugby. So effectively, now these games are at the end of our season domestically, we would have been going into sort of the middle of the year, if you know what I mean, in terms of our provincial tournaments, usually.
“So I hope that isn’t effective for the serving players in terms of fatigue and time together. I think it means that because we haven’t had a Six Nations, we potentially haven’t had as much time to prepare. I’m sure that we will be affected, and Rassie and his team will want to remedy. I think we’re going to see fireworks and two different shades of green going at each other hammer and tongs. I’m really excited.”
Turning his attention back to the South African clubs in the United Rugby Championship, Skinstad gave his verdict on how he expects each side to finish off their season. There is an all-South African double header this weekend to wrap up the 2023/24 URC regular season, as the sides battle it out to reach the top eight and qualify for the play-offs.
John Plumtree’s Challenge Cup winning Sharks will conclude their league campaign by playing hosts to the high-flying Vodacom Bulls, in Durban on Saturday. The Sharks have only won four of their 17 BKT URC matches this season, but Skinstad believes they will be determined to back up their European success by recording a derby day victory.
“I know John (Plumtree) and he is a very competitive man. He is a born winner. The Bulls at home is a big match for the Sharks. I think we will see a full strength Sharks side. We will see them wanting to end the season on a high and being very difficult to beat at home, particularly with their current performance.
“They will be using that to say ‘Ok, let’s prove to ourselves that we should have been further up the table than 13th which we are not very proud of’. They are playing the Bulls, who are second, so they will be saying ‘Let’s make sure we give them a good hiding and make everybody sit up and take notice of what the Sharks will be next year’. That’s my gut feeling.”
The other South African derby in the final round of league matches this weekend sees the fifth-placed DHL Stormers entertaining the Emirates Lions, who lie ninth in the table.
On the Stormers, Skinstad said: “I would say, by their very high standards, they have been disappointing. Even John Dobson has said they have dropped points when they shouldn’t have.
“They will be disappointed that they won’t have a home play-off run, but they will be doing their best to prepare for trying to win away from home. Their quarter-final is quite likely to be against the Bulls, if you look at how it stands. It’s still in South Africa, so it’s less travel which is a factor. They have played well against the Bulls a number of times over the last three or four years.
“So you would imagine they give themselves a chance to make it through and then after that it remains the big teams of the tournament they are up against and they have either won or come close to winning against all of them.”
As for the Lions’ play-off hopes, Skinstad added: “With them sitting in ninth, they have got quite a lot to do. The Stormers at home are a difficult prospect. I haven’t picked the Lions as a team that goes through just based on the probabilities.”