Erasmus Outlines Springbok Tactical Roles For Siyaya And Williams

Springbok coaches Rassie Erasmus and Mzwandile Stick have heaped praise on exciting young prospects Zekhethelo Siyaya and Jaco Williams, highlighting not only their immense talent but also their versatility as South Africa continues to build enviable depth across its rugby ranks.

While Siyaya has often been viewed primarily as a fullback — making three appearances in that position for the Sharks in the United Rugby Championship (URC) — Erasmus made it clear that the youngster’s skill set extends well beyond a single role.

“No, I consider him a wing as well,” Erasmus explained.

The Springbok coach believes the current crop of emerging backline talent possesses all the attributes required to make the step up to the highest level.

“The under-20 boys have size, speed and excellent skills. It would be lovely if there were more matches to get them into the mix, but no, he’ll be considered as both a wing and a fullback.”

Erasmus also revealed that Siyaya’s versatility stretches even further, having featured at flyhalf — a position in which he excelled during the Sharks’ emphatic victory over Benetton.

“He has played flyhalf as well.”

Assistant coach Mzwandile Stick expanded on the reasoning behind Siyaya’s selection on the wing despite his experience at fullback.

“Siyaya has played at fullback for the Sharks,” Stick said.

“In our system, the flyhalf and fullback act as playmakers. Siyaya can do that job as well and provides cover there, but we felt that playing him on the wing would give us an advantage in the aerial battle.

“When you look at the profile of our players and the way we play, we believed having Siyaya on the wing would benefit us.”

Perhaps most remarkable is how rapidly Siyaya’s rise has come. The youngster was still at school last year before making the leap into professional rugby and earning opportunities within the national alignment structures.

“He is a very special player and has a great X-factor, but when you work with him, you realise he doesn’t say much,” Stick said.

“He is always smiling and saying, ‘Yes, Coach.’ I’m glad we have the opportunity to work with him at this age because it’s not easy to rub shoulders with players like Eben and Siya when you’re so young.”

Siyaya is not the only exciting young back attracting attention within the Springbok setup.

Stick also highlighted fellow prospect Jaco Williams as a player who continues to push for greater recognition.

“Jaco Williams is one of the players who has been knocking on the door,” he said.

“We always say that size doesn’t matter to us. When he plays for the Sharks, you can see he has a big heart and an incredible work rate.”

The comparison to established Springbok stars underlines the coaching staff’s belief in Williams’ potential.

“When you look at the profile of players we have such as Cheslin Kolbe and Kurt-Lee Arendse, Jaco has the potential to become the same type of player in the future.”

For Stick, however, talent alone is not enough. The challenge lies in adapting to the Springbok way of doing things.

“Those players in the backline have great X-factor, but we want to test their foundations and see whether they can do things the way we do them as Springboks.

“The biggest test for us in this game is operating as a Springbok team.”

The Springbok management believes exposing talented youngsters to the national environment at an early age is crucial for their long-term development and for identifying the leaders of tomorrow.

“We want to make sure we give them opportunities while they are still young, which is why we have the alignment camps.

“Even if they are only 19 years old, we want to empower them. When you take full ownership, you become a leader. The more we empower them, the better it will be for their development.”

Siyaya and Williams appear to possess all the ingredients required to become future Springbok stars. The challenge now is converting that potential into consistent performances at the highest level. However, judging by the faith shown in them by the national coaching staff, South African rugby may well have unearthed its next generation of world-class talent.