Pick the man to lead the Springboks at the 2023 Rugby World Cup in the absence of injured captain Siya Kolisi.
Kolisi’s participation in this year’s World Cup is in jeopardy after scans on the Springbok skipper’s injured knee revealed the worst.
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The Sharks captain appeared to hurt his right knee in the opening 10 minutes of the clash between the Durbanites and Munster in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship.
He is now in a race against time as he considers whether or not to undergo surgery, which would certainly rule him out of the tournament in France.
MORE: Siya’s World Cup in doubt
There are plenty of options for the Springboks to consider to step into Kolisi’s shoes as the team’s skipper.
Among the frontrunners for the role will be centurion lock Eben Etzebeth, who previously captained the Boks before Kolisi in 2017. Etzebeth is currently recovering from a shoulder injury but is confident of recovering in time for the start of the Rugby Championship.
Veteran No 8 Duane Vermeulen, flyhalf Handre Pollard and centre Lukhanyo Am have all served as Bok vice-captains under Kolisi.
DHL Stormers centurion Steven Kitshoff stepped up as a captain when Kolisi left the Western Cape for the Sharks. Dynamic flank Kwagga Smith will be the frontrunner to wear the No 6 jersey in Kolisi’s absence and also captains his team in Japan, the Blue Revs. Willie le Roux is the most experienced member of the backline.
Photo: Twitter: @Springboks