'Lambie has the backbone to lead Boks'

Allister Coetzee says Pat Lambie “is part of the Springbok spine” and he will get the chance to prove that when he leads the Boks against the Barbarians.

Cape Town - Allister Coetzee says Pat Lambie “is part of the Springbok spine” and on Saturday he will get the chance to prove that when he leads the Boks against the Barbarians at Wembley Stadium.

Lambie will captain the Boks for the Tour match in the absence of Adriaan Strauss, who is being rested. The hooker is set to resume the captaincy in the big clash against England at Twickenham on November 12.

Lambie, pictured, had a largely unhappy match at fullback against the Wallabies at Loftus during this season's Rugby Championship home leg and was moved back to flyhalf for the last 20 minutes for the 57-15 hammering the Boks took against the All Blacks.

But calling the shots at No 10 is probably still Lambie’s most effective role, and Coetzee will be glad to have the composed Lambie back.

Coetzee said that the former Sharks leader was a natural choice for the skipper role, despite the fact that he has enjoyed very little game time this season due to concussion suffered in the first Test match against Ireland earlier this year.

So, although there should probably be concerns of Lambie being a little rusty, Coetzee chose to focus on Lambie’s knowledge of the game and his leadership abilities.

“Patrick was always part of the leadership group and part of the spine of the Springbok team.”

“He's excelled as a leader at franchise level and has the respect of his peers. He understands the team culture and has a great understanding of the game and the way we want to play. I have no doubt that he will make a success of his appointment as captain for this match.” said Coetzee.

The Bok mentor also said that Strauss will support Lambie in terms of leadership, while hookers Malcolm Marx and Bongi Mbonambi will also benefit from Strauss’ technical advice.

“Adriaan still plays an important role in the squad, by giving support to Patrick and also helping (Mbonambi) and (Marx) with technical detail, and he has bought into my succession plan,” he added.

Speaking on his selection as captain, Lambie said that it was an honour to represent the Springboks.

“To play for the Springboks is a big honour and the captaincy comes with a huge amount of responsibility. SA has a proud rugby tradition and the whole squad are excited to represent our country against the Barbarians.”

The Star