Siya Kolisi leaps to Manie Libbok's defence after latest kicking troubles

Siya Kolisi refused to single out flyhalf Manie Libbok for criticism after being asked about his kicking troubles against Scotland on Sunday.

Libbok has had problems with his accuracy heading into the tournament, leading to questions over whether it could end up costing South Africa in the big Rugby World Cup matches.

Against Scotland in their World Cup opener, the flyhalf once again struggled off the tee before Faf de Klerk took over the kicking duties.

It did not matter in the end as the Boks secured an 18-3 victory, but some fear it could come back to bite should they reach the knockout stages.

Jacques Nienaber was initially asked whether Libbok's kicking woes were a concern for the rest of the World Cup, but he quickly batted it away by reminding reporters that Libbok had won the Man of the Match award.

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The head coach responded twice, "not if he wins Man of the Match," before Kolisi interjected and forcefully put his point across during the post-match press conference.

The Springbok captain made it clear that when a player on the team struggles with any facet of his play on any given day, it is seen as a team problem to solve, not an individual one.

"From a players' point of view, this question gets asked quite a lot when he misses kicks, but we play as a team," he said.

"Sometimes you're not good at one thing on the day but the way he attacked, the way he took control of the team - he's a general amongst us.

"People forget that and they remember what he didn't do. Faf can kick, Cheslin (Kolbe) can kick, there are a lot of guys we can call upon."

Kolisi spoke passionately on the subject for over a minute and insisted that he has similar conundrums to solve as Libbok.

The flanker has decisions to make as captain, but he also gets help from his team-mates when the going gets tough, just as the fly-half can call on assistance if he is struggling.

"When someone's lacking somewhere, somebody else takes over. It's the same as me. Sometimes I don't know what to call in the game, so Duane (Vermeulen) will call, Eben (Etzebeth) will call or Manie makes a call."

Kolisi does not appear willing to allow the issue to sow any disharmony within his team's ranks, and feels confident it's a situation they can continue to manage effectively as the tournament wears on.

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