Siya at No.8 for the Boks back on the table
VIDEO: Springbok captain Siya Kolisi may yet don the No.8 jersey in the foreseeable future as the national side awaits the verdict on Jasper Wiese’s red card.
Wiese got himself on the wrong side of the law once again, and as a repeat offender, he could face the maximum penalty of up to ten weeks’ suspension.
The 29-year-old was punished for foul play in the 22nd minute against the Azzurri at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Gqeberha.
Both sets of players clashed in the first half, with tensions boiling over. In the middle of the group, Wiese could be seen forcing his head towards Italy’s loosehead Danilo Fischetti.
His hearing has been scheduled for Tuesday, July 15.
This could leave the Springboks with a predicament in the No.8 jersey, one that appears to remain a troublesome issue for Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus.
This is mainly due to the serious injuries to Cameron Hanekom and Elrigh Louw, who are both out with long-term injuries and will not don the Green and Gold in 2025.
Ahead of the first Test against Italy, at Loftus Versfeld, Erasmus was adamant that they prefer the Bok captain in the No.6 jumper. Now, his hand may be forced.
Wiese had a timely return to the Springboks for the Incoming Series after recovering from a serious neck injury.
But his participation in the Rugby Championship now hangs in the balance.
The former Leicester Tigers back-row has been labeled a serial transgressor in the past and has had his fair share of suspensions for dangerous play, including high tackles and reckless clearouts.
On Monday, Springbok assistant coach Deon Davids faced reporters and was asked what the impact of a possible suspension would be on the team.
*Article continues below…
“For us, it is unfortunate that Jasper got on the wrong side of the law. We are a physical team. We try to do things with as much intent as possible. That is part of our DNA,” Davids told Rugby365.
“We support Jasper in whatever decision it will be. And we trust the disciplinary hearing committee, the judgment on the issue.
“We work very hard as a team on staying on the right side of the law.
“That is why we have Jaco Peyper here to make sure we coach and train within the law.
“There is a good awareness from the players on understanding the risk from a technical point of view to execute what they need to do,” he explained, adding: “World Rugby has laid out the procedure that they will follow and we trust the decision and the approaches.”
Asked if there might be a temptation to pick the Springbok at No.8, the position he has covered for the Sharks all season, Davids replied: “We have versatile players in our squad, like Siya, who has played No.6 primarily for us [the Springboks] but also No. 8 for the Sharks.
“We also have guys like Evan Roos and Marco van Staden who have played in that position.
“There are different players that we can look at that we feel will have the ability to fill that position.
“It will depend on the mix-up of the loose trio and the mix-up of the pack, and that will determine where our selection will go.”
NEW IN THE APP: Official World Rugby Rankings hub! Compare team rankings side-by-side, with data going back 20 years.
Download the RugbyPass app on the App Store (iOS) and Google Play (Android) now!
