Blue Bulls coach Nollis Marais comes out fighting in support of besieged Boks captain Adriaan Strauss

31 August 2016 - 17:29 By Chumani Bambani

Hands off Adriaan Strauss! Blue Bulls coach Nollis Marais issued the stern warning as pressure continues to mount on the Springbok captain.“A lot has been said about Adriaan. I think Adriaan is a brilliant captain‚” Marais said.Strauss was appointed Bok captain at the start of coach Allister Coetzee’s reign and he's had the armband since the mid-year series against Ireland.The hooker‚ who is one game short of his 60th test cap and is the (un)lucky 13th Bok captain to lead the side in the Rugby Championship‚ has been on the receiving end of a barrage of criticism.It is not his leadership qualities that have come under scrutiny‚ but rather his contribution as a player.Marais‚ who went through his first Super Rugby season as Bulls coach this year with Strauss as his captain‚ believes the disparagement directed at the 30-year-old is redundant.With a number of younger hookers‚ including Malcolm Marx and Scarra Ntubeni‚ knocking hard on the Bok door‚ questions have been raised about whether Strauss is the right man to start in the No2 jersey.Coetzee has also come under fire for failing to give Strauss’ Bok understudy Bongi Mbonambi game time.Marais believes that Strauss’ leadership qualities are undervalued in South Africa.“Yes‚ I think his value is underestimated‚” said the Bulls coach.“There are a lot of guys making individual errors in the side and that puts the team under pressure‚ and he has to bare the brunt of it. Unfortunately your captain and coach take a lot of the brunt individually.“Adriaan is only in his fifth game as captain‚ I think we should give him the same opportunity we have given previous captains to find their feet‚ to find a team to build together. I think he is a brilliant captain.“I think at the moment he is taking a lot of flak that he shouldn’t be taking. I think we should stick with him‚ give him the backing. There is a lot of rugby still to be played."He has been excellent for our side this season when things were tough. He stood up‚ put up his hand and said ‘this is what we need to do’. He was the main reason for the rebuilding of the side at the Bulls when we had 14 Super Rugby debutants.”Marais believes that Strauss is being treated unjustly by critics.The Bulls coach pleaded for the Bok captain to be given a chance to lead the national side at least until the end of the year.“At the end of the year if he is not regarded as the right guy then the coach can make that decision. But I can promise you‚ he is an excellent captain‚” said Marais.“I’m not saying that only because he is a Bull.“If you look at that side there are a lot of guys playing for the first time at international level.”..

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