Etzebeth says he’s the right man to lead the Springboks beyond 2017

Here’s a quick news roundup including what Sport24 and alloutrugby are saying about the Boks.

Etzebeth backs Coetzee and rubbishes comments doubting his suitability as captain

Springbok captain Eben Etzebeth has responded to claims by Nick Mallett that perhaps the lock forward isn’t the right man for the job to lead the Boks into 2018 and beyond. Etzebeth said “They (rugby pundits) don’t always know what they’re talking about. I enjoy the captaincy a lot and I don’t easily let myself get distracted from the action. I always want to be intensely involved. I do what is expected of me and the captaincy is something that I embrace and cherish.”

Etzebeth has also reaffirmed his desire for current coach Coetzee to remain at the helm. Springbok rugby top brass will discuss the future of Coetzee in a meeting next Wednesday, where it is widely expected that he will lose his job.

White calls for review of SA rugby board

Former Springbok coach Jake White has come out in a show of support for Allister Coetzee, saying that the national team’s current crisis isn’t only down to the coach. He said in a column for alloutrugby “How can Allister Coetzee take all the blame? He was appointed by people who said he was good enough to do the job and now that the results haven’t gone our way, only he is being held responsible? It’s not like everything was going well and then Allister was appointed and we suddenly fell over. This has been coming for a long time,”

Reasons for Bok fans to be optimistic

Sport24 has pointed out causes for optimism for Springbok fans after a largely disappointing 2017.

Youngsters Lukhanyo Am, Warrick Gelant and Curwin Bosch have all been exposed to the limelight and will be richer for the experience.

The outstanding youngster, 23-year-old Malcolm Marx, produced a virtuoso display against New Zealand at Newlands which earned him a perfect 10 rating from New Zealand herald writers. He has also been nominated for three SA rugby awards, a deserved reward for an outstanding individual season.

On a collective level, the Boks still managed an impressive whitewash series win against France back in June, and that’s something upon which the team can build.