Phepsi Buthelezi is set to make his long-awaited Springbok debut this Saturday, having drawn inevitable comparisons to Siya Kolisi.
Following last year’s World Cup, 32-year-old Siya Kolisi confirmed he would remain fully committed to the national side, but there is no doubt that the Springboks will need to manage his game-time if they hope to see him feature at the next global showpiece.
Earlier this season, Sharks coach John Plumtree notably highlighted how the 25-year-old boasts similar attributes to the two-time World Cup-winning Bok captain. “Phepsi has had a good season and he’s proven to me that he’s pretty resilient with the amount of games that he has played. I’m not saying he’s going to be a six, seven and eight, but I’d certainly like him to be able to play in both positions .”Kolisi notably moved to the Sharks from the Stormers in 2021, and played alongside Buthelezi on a few occasions.
“We’d love for him to follow Siya,” he said. “With his similar style of play, we don’t have a typical openside. He’s been living almost with Siya trying to understand what he’s doing.
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