The nominations of Pieter-Steph du Toit, Cheslin Kolbe and Eben Etzebeth for World Rugby’s Player of the Year award says everything about the quality of the Springboks, writes MARK KEOHANE.
Etzebeth, South Africa’s most-capped player of all time, and fellow two-time World Cup winners Kolbe and Du Toit – a former winner of the prestigious accolade in 2019 – on Monday were shortlisted by the governing body. Ireland No 8 Caelan Doris completes the list of nominees.
Writing for TimesLIVE, Keohane emphasises that Du Toit represents raw power and work rate, Kolbe embodies flair and finishing ability while Etzebeth adds an imposing presence in the pack.
Despite widespread polls favouring Kolbe, Keohane notes that all three have been central to the Boks’ sustained success, with Etzebeth’s form being particularly imperious.
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Keohane credits Rassie Erasmus and Jacques Nienaber for transforming a previously underperforming group into the most accomplished Bok side in the professional era.
He argues that while selecting a single Player of the Year is challenging, Erasmus’ impact as a coach stands uncontested, with a strong case for him being the greatest coach in rugby history.
“There is merit in selecting a backline player of the year as well as a forward of the year when it comes to identifying World Rugby’s Player of the Year,” Keohane writes.
“After all, how do you differentiate between the power of Pieter-Steph du Toit and the guile and poise of Cheslin Kolbe?
“It says everything about the quality of performance from Du Toit and Kolbe that the majority voting on polls could relegate the imperious form of Etzebeth to third.
“This is a golden age for Springboks rugby. It is the most gifted generation of South African players in the professional era and it is a credit to the collective of these Boks that three players get nominated out of four.”
Photo: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images
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