Moerat captaincy call highlights Boks’ shift towards younger leadership generation

Phepsi Buthelezi of the Hollywoodbets Sharks going over for a try during the EPCR Challenge Cup final match between Gloucester Rugby and Hollywoodbets Sharks at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on May 24, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Steve Haag Sports/Gallo Images)

By Jon Cardinelli

18 Jul 2024

An ageing Springbok leadership group is prompting coach Rassie Erasmus to consider his longer-term options.

Rassie Erasmus made a statement this past week when he named Salmaan Moerat as Springbok captain for the one-off Test against Portugal in Bloemfontein.

It’s a significant moment in South African rugby history, as Moerat is the first Muslim to lead the national side. The appointment is also part of a long-term plan to refresh and invigorate the Bok leadership core in the lead-up to the 2027 World Cup.

Captain No 11 in seven years

Erasmus has prioritised development from day one, and has made a point of sharing the leadership load among several players each season.

Since 2018, a total of eight players have captained the Springboks, while a further three have led the South Africa A team at various stages.

Erasmus and former head coach Jacques Nienaber used three or four Test options over the course of each season, depending on the availability of the official captain, Siya Kolisi, the nature of the opposition, and other logistical challenges that necessitated the splitting of the squad.

Kolisi has led the Boks 56 times in the space of 69 Tests, and may have enjoyed further opportunities if not for serious injury setbacks in the early stages of the 2019 and 2023 seasons.

Duane Vermeulen (who has since retired) led the Test side on four occasions, followed by Pieter-Steph du Toit, Eben Etzebeth and Bongi Mbonambi (all twice), and Schalk Brits, Salmaan Moerat and Handré Pollard (all once).

Lukhanyo Am and Elton Jantjies shared the SA A captaincy duties during the 2021 British & Irish Lions series, while Thomas du Toit led the shadow side in the two midweek games played on the tour to Europe in 2022.

For the better part of six years, the Boks coaches looked to strengthen the leadership group with the aim of supporting Kolisi, while exploring alternatives in preparation for any injury-enforced absence.

Boks Moerat Kolisi Bok captain Siya Kolisi and Salmaan Moerat during the Test against Ireland at Kings Park in Durban on 13 July 2024. (Photo: Steve Haag Sports / Gallo Images)

Planning for the future

This season, and in the years leading up to the 2027 World Cup, Erasmus will take a different approach.

There’s no guarantee that Kolisi (33) or the rest of these ageing heroes will feature at the next global tournament in Australia, and the coach has to plan for that scenario.

It would be foolish to write them off completely. We’ve already seen how an old dog like Brits (38) can contribute to a World Cup-winning campaign (in 2019), and how two grizzled veterans in Vermeulen and Deon Fourie (both 37) can play a more influential role (in the 2023 final).

But the fact of the matter is that 15 of the players who featured at last year’s World Cup will be 35 or older at the next global tournament.

Many of those individuals are part of the current leadership group. A few may push on to make a telling contribution in Australia, but not all 15.

Erasmus has confirmed that the age profile of the 2027 World Cup squad will be younger than the group that travelled to France last year and the squad used in the recent two-Test series against Ireland.

Boks Rassie Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus naming the Bok team in Bloemfontein on 16 July 2024. (Photo: Charle Lombard / Gallo Images)

The 23-man team that drew the series against Ireland was the most experienced Bok combination in history, at least in terms of total caps.

As many as 13 players boasted more than 50 Test caps, although players such as Kurt-Lee Arendse, Grant Williams, Moerat, Gerhard Steenekamp and newcomer Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu had fewer than 20.

Looking at the Tests on either side of the Ireland series, and effectively the mid-year schedule in its entirety, it’s clear how Erasmus has tried to tick the boxes of development and results.

Four players were handed debuts against Wales at Twickenham last month, while a further seven uncapped players were included for the one-off against Portugal in Bloemfontein.

Some of these players will receive further opportunities in the Rugby Championship and subsequent tour to the UK. Don’t be surprised if a few of them travel to the 2027 World Cup, and form part of a new-look leadership group.

Rebuilding the leadership core

Eleven captains have been used since 2018, and eight of those are still playing Test rugby today.

Kolisi, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Etzebeth and Mbonambi are all in their early thirties, and will be on the wrong side of 35 by the time the World Cup kicks off in October 2027.

Age shouldn’t be a factor for Pollard, Am and Thomas du Toit, given that they’ll be 33 or younger in 2027, while Moerat will be 29.

Moerat has been in the Bok system since 2022, and led the SA Schools and SA U20 teams before that.

Phepsi Buthelezi and Feinberg-Mngomezulu were introduced to the Test side this year – although they played for the SA A team in late 2022.

South Africa's Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu is a former Junior Springbok captain. (Photo: Steve Haag Sports / Gallo Images)

Like Moerat, the loose forward and the utility back led the Junior Boks before progressing to the senior professional ranks. Both have been touted as future Test captains.

There are a number of younger or less experienced players in the current squad who could bolster the leadership core in the long term.

Lock RG Snyman (29) and prop Ox Nché (28) have already won trophies and tournaments with the Boks while playing relatively few games over a six-year period. Fullback Damian Willemse (26) is another who is entering the prime of his career.

Scrumhalf Jaden Hendrikse (24) and utility back Canan Moodie (21) travelled to the last tournament in a supporting capacity, but will take on more responsibility as 2027 approaches.

Phepsi Buthelezi, who makes his Test debut against Portugal, is another former Junior Bok skipper. He has also regularly captained the Sharks. (Photo: Steve Haag Sports / Gallo Images)

Extended opportunity a must

Kolisi didn’t become a leader of men overnight, and that leadership collective also took some time to settle and develop.

Erasmus gave those players an extended opportunity to gel, and while the Boks were inconsistent in 2018, they enjoyed unprecedented success in 2019 when they won the Rugby Championship and the World Cup titles.

The situation is very different this time round, as there are more than a dozen decorated veterans in the squad. While experience is key to winning World Cups, so is form, and many of those ageing stars are unlikely to be at their peak four years down the line.

A more experienced team fronted Ireland, and a similarly balanced combination may be favoured for the big Rugby Championship matches, as Erasmus looks to secure results, and perhaps a title, that consolidates the Boks’ status as the world’s leading team.

Beyond that, the balance of the team may shift, with more youngsters getting an extended opportunity, and a new leadership group receiving a chance to grow.

That new unit may include a few veterans – and Kolisi himself – but it’s highly unlikely that all of the senior players who travelled to the 2023 World Cup will survive the cut. DM

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Captain No 11 in seven years

Planning for the future

Rebuilding the leadership core

Extended opportunity a must