Raving about Stormers captain Siya Kolisi & ranting about Sharks tight five

Stormers captain Siya Kolisi was a focus in one of my three raves in the opening weekend of Super Rugby. And the Sharks tight five wobbles were at the heart of rants.

Of Kolisi I wrote: ‘ Kolisi providing the big moment plays, on attack and in defence. Kolisi is the best in his position but more than that he is a leader of men. His intensity and energy are contagious and every time he plays he makes a statement that South African rugby can transform and win.

The Sharks tight five copped it, on the field and in my biggest rant.

‘The Sharks need to find a tight five who can scrum and a collective eight who want to scrum. They have a back division the envy of most teams in this competition but they have a tight five that collectively don’t belong in the competition. They got humiliated in the opening scrum of the tournament, just as was done to them in last year’s opening scrum of the Currie Cup final.

There is a bigger national plan with transforming Thomas du Toit from loosehead to tighthead. On the evidence of Saturday’s performance it’s going to require patience and patriotism because currently it’s all risk with no reward for Sharks coach Robert du Preez.

Let me know what you think of my other raves, whether you agree or disagree.

My Rants and Raves Monday column appears every Monday in the Independent Media morning publications The Cape Times, The Star, The Mercury and the Pretoria News.

Let me know what you think of my other raves, whether you agree or disagree. Tweet me @mark_keohane or mail me [email protected]

Read: Independent Media’s Wynona Louw on the Stormers & IOL’s Ashfak Mohamed on the Stormers.

Read: Independent Media’s Jacques van der Westhuizen on the Lions & Sharks