Why Springboks must bench their captain Siya Kolisi

Springboks coach Rassie Erasmus has to make a call that may end his career or be the greatest rugby decision ever made.

South Africa's flanker Siya Kolisi has been a transformative selection as captain Picture: AFP

It was one of the easiest and most joyous columns I have had the privilege to write. I quoted Desmond Tutu, who described his dreams of South Africa as “a special society in which the cream would rise to the top, regardless of colour and class.” The subject was the appointment of Siya Kolisi as the first black man to captain the Springboks after a shameful 127-year wait.

The new skipper uttered these inspiring words that no other South Africa captain had been able to utter: “I hope I get to inspire not only black people but every South African because I don’t only represent black people but everyone in this country.”

Rassie Erasmus, the head coach, said that he preferred not to look at his choice of leader from a historical or political perspective; the rest of us saw the significance and, in the main, were euphoric.

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Now, four days from following in the World Cup-winning footsteps of Francois Pienaar in 1995, what I am about to write doesn’t flow with the righteous adrenaline of that previous Kolisi column. These are words I would really rather not type.

South Africa have more chance of winning without their captain.

Erasmus, if he can indeed ignore the “historical and political perspective”, should select his captain on the bench. The No 6 shirt should be worn by the South African who knows the game of Sam Underhill, England’s key man, better than anyone – his fellow Bath flanker Francois Louw. Kolisi does not only represent black people but everyone in South Africa. The decision should be colourblind.

Symbolism screams that the Springboks cannot start without their skipper. When a South African rugby legend such as Bryan Habana says that Kolisi lifting the World Cup could help to bring the Rainbow Nation closer together, it pays to take note. And I do. If South Africa win the World Cup with a black skipper the impact could be hugely positive.

I also note how often the head coach refers to the openside (who wears No 6 in South Africa) as “our leader”. And yes, sport and politics are not so much mixing here as totally entwined. The South Africa captain has received a phone call from his country’s president, Cyril Ramaphosa, who is heading for Japan in search of his own Nelson Mandela moment. But this is Japan, not Johannesburg.

Imagine the president being informed halfway to Tokyo that Kolisi has been benched. Erasmus, explaining to Mandela’s old friend that the best chance of uniting 57 million South Africans is to play Louw from the kick-off. One man’s inspiration will not suffice if South Africa are incapable of nullifying England at the breakdown. Kolisi has not appeared to be the force that he was before a knee injury that he suffered in Super Rugby in May.

Strip the politics and emotion out of the equation and the rugby case for benching Kolisi is powerful. Pieter-Steph du Toit has been far more influential in his lineout and counter-rucking than his fellow flanker. He has to start. But even Du Toit cannot compete quite like Louw at the breakdown.

Louw’s 74th-minute turnover in the semi-final win over Wales – a few minutes after coming on – was the matchwinning moment to put South Africa in the final. From the penalty, South Africa ended up with a kick to win the game. Would Kolisi have made that turnover? On the evidence of what came before, probably not.

The breakdown isn’t the strength of his game. It is with Louw. New Zealand gambled with an extra lineout man and lost the gamble as England controlled collisions and, with it, the tempo of the game. South Africa will be more comfortable than the All Blacks with slow possession – they will kick a great deal – but defensively, the Springboks have to halt the momentum that England bring to the game, especially early on.

England sprinted out of the blocks against New Zealand and never eased up. Louw, doing what he has done so well in Japan, will be wasted in the last 25 minutes; the damage will be done. Far more sensible to ask him to match Underhill and Tom Curry in contact and keep South Africa within range to throw everything, Kolisi et al, for an unstoppable Springbok surge in the final 20 minutes.

Few think that Erasmus will make such a call. But after the Wales scrap, he said something that was the genesis of this column. Elated, he said that he was not afraid to make any changes. He highlighted his decision to take Kolisi off.

Within the media, the decision not to select his captain would be the headline. Yet, as Eddie Jones has shown with his treatment of George Ford, selection is about matching forces to strategy. If Erasmus can finish without his skipper and without hyperbole, why can he not start without him and finish with him?

After all, if South Africa win, Kolisi will lift the trophy. Ramaphosa would have his Mandela moment. Play it the other way, bow to a perceived political imperative and the chances of any South African getting anywhere near lifting the trophy are diminished.

Who would be Erasmus? The right rugby call may very well be the wrong political one; the politically correct one possibly the wrong rugby call. The easy choice is to stick; no one would criticise Erasmus. The other choice would be one of the bravest of all time. It may go down in history as a great call; conversely, it may be the end of Erasmus. Jones has made a few big calls in his time but none like this.