Former England flyhalf Stuart Barnes believes Paul de Villiers could challenge Siya Kolisi’s position as Springbok captain.
The Stormers flanker impressed during South Africa’s July Nations Championship fixtures.
Kolisi missed the series because of injury, opening the door for De Villiers.
The 23-year-old quickly grabbed his opportunity in the No 6 jersey.
He delivered strong displays against England, Scotland and Wales during his first Tests.
De Villiers produced his best performance against Wales in a dominant 43-0 victory.
The young loose forward earned Man of the Match honours after an outstanding showing.
He scored a try while also making 18 carries during the match.
Additionally, he completed 10 tackles and won two turnovers for the Springboks.
His performances have created discussions about South Africa’s future leadership plans.
Barnes questions Kolisi’s future as Springbok captain
Speaking on The Ruck podcast, Barnes questioned whether Kolisi’s captaincy era could be ending.
The former England playmaker praised Kolisi but highlighted De Villiers’ rapid rise.
“Have we seen the end of Siya Kolisi as Springboks captain?” Barnes asked. “A giant of the game, an all-time great, but all good things come to pass.
“Has Rassie Erasmus found the man to take South Africa to the next level in Paul de Villiers? We haven’t seen Kolisi, what we have seen is his replacement, a young man, come on and be as good as Ruben Kruger and Heinrich Brüssow were.
“Obviously, there’ll be this view that you can’t drop Siya Kolisi, but the great coaches, at some stage everybody has to be dropped because you can’t be the best forever.”
Barnes added that Rassie Erasmus could handle any leadership change smoothly.
The Springbok coach has previously managed difficult selection decisions effectively.
According to Barnes, Erasmus could introduce a new captain without major disruption.
“It’s fascinating and I wonder, Erasmus is the sort of coach who is so good at just sliding this through to the point we don’t even end up writing a column about they have got a new captain.
“It just happens. One minute he’s there, the next he’s not, and South Africa move seamlessly on towards the third World Cup.”
Kolisi remains one of South Africa’s most influential players.
However, De Villiers’ emergence has created exciting possibilities for the Springboks.
The young flanker could become a key figure in South Africa’s future plans.
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