'I know Harlequins are after a couple of our forwards' - Stormers address Siya Kolisi rumours
Stormers head coach John Dobson has addressed rumours around the future of World Cup-winning loose forward Siya Kolisi that have circulated in the media in recent weeks.
Kolisi, one of the premier flankers in world rugby, is often the subject of transfer rumours, and while Dobson tried to pour water on the most recent rumours of a potential exit, he didn’t go as far as fully extinguishing them.
Media reports have suggested that Kolisi – whose affairs are being managed by the Roc Nation group – could be lured to the Sharks. He had been linked with a move to Saracens in 2019, but move north in the immediate future appears unlikely. Kolisi will presumably be eager to stay in South Africa, at least until the end of British and Irish Lions tour next summer.
“There is a lot of rumour at the moment and there is a lot of smoke,” Dobson told media in SA this week. “There is so much smoke that you suspect there must be a fire. Nobody has told me officially that they are going anywhere yet.”
Dobson also suggested that Gallagher Premiership side Harlequins were targeting their forwards.
“I know that Harlequins are after a couple of our forwards. There was an article about Siya being in demand elsewhere in South Africa.
“‘Siya is our leader. I literally asked Siya (on Tuesday) if we need to have a chat and he said, “Let’s get through Friday”, which is the responsible and mature thing. I don’t think there is anything formal. There can be nothing formal until the contracting window starts. At this stage, I would think the Siya thing is just smoke.”
There’s been a certain amount of upheaval behind the scenes at the Western Province, the union behind Super Rugby franchise, the Stormers. Marco V Masotti’s American consortium, MVM Holdings, has been in talks with the WPRFU over a partnership, but it has been rumoured that the consortium may now be interested in the rival Sharks. As a result it has been suggested that a number of the Stormers’ senior players are unwilling to negotiate contract extensions beyond next year’s Lions tour, because of the uncertainty over the MVM deal.
WPRFU President Zelt Marais was adamant that Kolisi will not depart Cape Town. “Siya Kolisi is going nowhere,” the WPRFU boss told Rugby 365 this week. “Western Province has invested heavily in Siya Kolisi – possibly more than any other player – over the years, since [his] Under-19 [days] and is committed to keeping Siya Kolisi at least until the 2027 World Cup.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Andy Goode cant kick to 12
161 Go to commentsDoxed himself. Great work Johnny. You are well suited to the Saders
1 Go to comments_Best game players _
1 Go to commentsWho's Jarrad Hohepa?
1 Go to commentsSo let me get this straight. Say you have the dominant scrum. You are 99% sure you can go for a scrum pushover try on the line to win the game. The opposition knows it too. They give away a silly tap kick instead. You are now not allowed to scrum. This is ridiculous! *%@ing the game up as usual! The fact that the attacking teams are not allowed to scrum from a held up over the line is just as ridiculous. Really world rugby? Careful people might start a rebel league called True Rugby or Real Rugby.
76 Go to comments12 subs during a game? How has that been allowed to happen NB? I hate when the game goes in this monopolistic direction closing up shop, it just becomes non sport. Btw have you seen anything of how Liam Coltman was tracking for Lyon? He has just signed to return to Otago though we have a couple of young hookers developing here. He was a popular gentle natured character down here and I’m glad to see him back but maybe he will be a mentor primarily?
4 Go to commentsGreat breakdown and the global politics always confuses me a little. The southern hemisphere seems to be left out a bit but I wouldn’t even know where to start with fixing it. Club challenge could be a step in the right direction
4 Go to commentsSince he coached Free state, from that time onwards, I maintained he was the coach for the Boks. A nice, no nonsense guy with an excellent brain, who gets results.
11 Go to commentswell - they only played against 14 men and had the TMO team on their side - and still should have lost… so actually that makes sense.
33 Go to commentsSouthern hemisphere Rugby is exactly that, boring. Northern Hemisphere Rugby is soooo much more entertaining and better with better players.
2 Go to commentsIf he was to be cited for a dangerous behavior, then it’s natural that he should be. Then NTamack too, yes? And I’ll add a good whataboutism - Yeandle eye-gouging on Richie Arnold: not cited. Eye-gouging. Not high tackle. Eye-gouging. It was on French TV, with French TV directors.
5 Go to commentsReally poorly written rambling piece ..
4 Go to commentsIt was so boring
2 Go to commentspersonally I’d go with : 1. France 2. NZ 3. England 4. Ireland 5. Scotland
33 Go to commentsAndy everything becomes easier with experience therefor counting etc straight after a match becomes easier when you have 100+ caps vs 17 which is the experience you speak from.
161 Go to commentsGetting rid of the Dupont Law is a good thing and ought to have been done months ago! Officially getting rid of the croc roll is a good thing. The law about no scrums from a short arm is well intended in terms of speeding the game up but it’s an overreaction to a clever yet calculated gamble that could have blow up in South Africa’s face if they conceded a penalty from the scrum that was set after Willemse took claimed the mark in the World Cup QF.
76 Go to commentsRassie The GOAT
11 Go to commentsOf their 5 big matches in RWC Scotland and NZ were the easiest. They took a 12-3 lead against NZ and after the red decided it was best to hold the lead and take chances that came. None came and it was tight but they dug a lot deeper in the other two knock out matches. They had trounced NZ in Twickenham in a fixture that NZ must now regret. Psychology was clearly with SA in the final as a result.
33 Go to commentsMy favourite line/exchanges from Chasing the Sun 2. News headline: “SA. The last hurdle in ABs World Cup glory”. Something like that. “You’re all just a hurdle. A hop, skip and a jump”. Coming from Rassie and Jacque. Basically - nobody thinks you’re going to win. You’re just a pushover team. Nobody respects you. When the camera shows the players faces, you can see the effect. You can see the rev meters (die moer metertjies) firing up. Mitchell said he felt it prior to the 19 final. He said to Eddie watching the teams warming up that it was going to be a tough day at the office. Wave a red flag in front of South African, and you can expect a reaction. This is not unique - many teams rev themselves. And Bok teams in particular. With horrific consequences (discipline, poor thinking under pressure) because that’s the drawback to using emotion right? But what this Bok team does better than many since 2007 is channel the emotion and stay on task. Despite the emotion. Why, because while Rassie might play mind games - he talks about creating a safe environment. Listen to his recent honorary doctorate acceptance speech. While he uses psychology he creates psychological safety. He’s a damn fine coach. Can’t wait for Pretoria. It’s going to be a hummer.
11 Go to commentsWhat Rassie does for SA is big. It has helped people to unite and see we can win with the right people in place.
11 Go to comments