Rassie Erasmus responds angrily to Racing 92’s owner after making comments about Siya Kolisi.
After Racing’s Top 14 quarterfinal loss to Bordeaux-Begles, Lorenzetti attacked the South African captain in an interview with the French magazine Midi Olympique. He called the two-time World Cup winner “transparent” and said he was overweight.
“He was a unifier off the field and had a remarkable start to the season,” he stated in the interview. It hurt him to take the break. He lost shape, put on weight, and became transparent yesterday.There once was a warrior named Wenceslas Lauret who was always present in the back row. Siya makes sure we don’t forget him for the time being.
Rassie Erasmus, the head coach of the Springboks, was obviously offended by this criticism. Erasmus put an end to months of rumors by announcing that the flanker will still captain the side a day after announcing his Springboks team for the two-Test series against Ireland. Additionally, he used the occasion to poke fun at Lorenzetti.
“Siya is going to be the captain and he’ll play at number six. He’s healthy, he hasn’t had any injuries, he’s not overweight, and he’s not translucent,” Erasmus chuckled.
With Racing, Kolisi had a mixed debut season that was cut short by a hand injury after a strong start. He did play again in the last two months of the season, but the club’s season ultimately fell apart, making it a dismal ending.
The flanker was back in Erasmus’ 39-man squad that will get ready to meet the defending Six Nations champions, Ireland, in July. The flanker was not included in South Africa’s 41-13 victory over Wales because it happened outside of the Test window.