Jerry Flannery has lavished praise on flanker Kwagga Smith, describing him as an “on-field coach”, while also lauding Eben Etzebeth’s leadership ahead of his record-breaking 128th cap.
Flannery was speaking to the Telegraph, in a wide-ranging interview where he also opened up about succeeding Jacques Nienaber as South Africa’s defensive guru.
While hailing the depth of talent available to Rassie Erasmus, the former Ireland international name-checked Smith, whose all-action approach helped the Springboks overcome New Zealand in last year’s World Cup final.
“If you talk to Kwagga Smith, man, that guy’s a coach,” Flannery told the Telegraph.
“He is 100 per cent a coach on the field. He covers so many positions, he’s always aware, he’s always coaching people around him when he plays and he’s such an unassuming guy.
“You’d walk past him in the street and you might not know he’s a professional rugby player because he’s not much taller than me. He’s not a behemoth, just a brilliant, brilliant rugby player. Kwagga is a guy that really stands out.”
The Springboks are set to duel Argentina for the Rugby Championship title in Nelspruit on Saturday, a game that will also hold extra significance for Eben Etzebeth.
The centurion lock will run out for his 128th Test match, surpassing Victor Matfield as the most-capped Springbok.
“There’s a wave of talent coming through in South Africa, but I think Eben and Siya, to me, are who will protect what is special about the Springboks,” Flannery said.
“They are driving the messages about serving the team as much as Rassie is.”
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