SPRINGBOK coach Rassie Erasmus has given a glimpse into the role he foresees for ageing captain Siya Kolisi by including him in the coaches box for Saturdays Rugby Championship match against Argentina in Santiago del Estero (11pm SA time kick-off).
Kolisi has a broken nose, courtesy of a high challenge by All Blacks counterpart Sam Cane at Ellis Park, and has travelled to Argentina in a non-player role.
It seems that Erasmus wants Kolisi to follow in the footsteps of Duane Vermeulen, who slowly transitioned from a playing No 8 to an assistant coach.
At 33, Kolisi is 50/50 to be a starter at the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia.
But his incredible presence must be treasured and not discarded, and we might see him being carefully managed over the next few seasons as Erasmus weighs up whether Kolisi can make it to Australia.
