Patrick Lambie is set to lead out the Springboks when they face the Barbarians team in London this weekend.
Adriaan Strauss is set to be rested for this match with eyes firmly set on the bigger prize the following weekend.
It is still unclear whether Lambie will lead the team from Flyhalf or from Fullback, but Allister Coetzee was quoted as saying that Lambie was a natural choice for selection as captain.
Lambie, who has played in 53 tests to date might very well be the most capped player on the day. The team is set to be announced on Thursday.

YOH! 😯 The good news just keep coming!
Well done Pat! I presume this also means he will start against England in 2 weeks time?
@Another Nick (Comment 1) :
Well, he very well could..
Unless he is seen as Second team and only gets aabench spot vs England?
@Another Nick (Comment 1) : Fingers crossed! 😀
Good news and congratulations to Pat!!!
Congrats to our Pat!
Most interesting. Could he be a candidate as skipper for 2017???
@Hulk (Comment 6) : Could well be.
Hope Pat is fitter and in better condition than his last match. Good luck to him- he is a good captain
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 2) : could be a new trend captaining from the bench!!!
Awesome news. Well done Pat!!!
Straus being rested? He should not have been taken with. Building new team but hanging on people not going to be there next WC. Same goes for Habana etc.. And I here the responses to say we need all experience we can get for next couple of games. But you are preventing youngster from 2 or 3 caps experience. We list badly with experience against All Blacks. So if you sre going to change.. Then start.
Congrats, Pat! Have a goodie…
@ebenp (Comment 11) : Unfortunately Marx couldn’t hit a barn door at lineout time, so he will have to be eased in. And despite being a shade of his best, he is still streets ahead of Mbonambi. Until that status quo changes, AC needs Strauss
@KingCheetah (Comment 13) : Yeah, I agree…
@JD (Comment 9) : He he, Lambie does have loads of “bench experience” so he can lead from there:-)
Ideal chance for Lambie to fnally nail a starting berth. I would still have opted for an in form Goosen. He really is a valuable player.
@KingCheetah (Comment 13) : sad but true!!! For Marx to become a Bok first choice he needs to fix his basics.
@KingCheetah (Comment 15) : depends a lot on where Lambie is picked as it’s still 50/50 as to if he will play at 10 or 15!?1?!?
Strauss being rested? Isn’t that what he does on field?
Had a conversation with someone yesterday about Lambie being captain on saterday, and in true Freestate/Lions way, he said either Whiteley or the dude from the Cheetahs should be captain as they have captained successful teams, yeah they both might have won the CC as captains, but correct me if I’m wrong, John Smit never lead a team to a CC, yet he lead the Boks to a Tri-Nations, Lions Series Win and a World Cup.
@KingRiaan (Comment 19) : Or Jean deVilliers who never won a Currie Cup,Super Rugby title,Tri Nations , or a World Cup,as a player or as a captain, yet he captained the Boks how many times?
The only problem I can see with Lambie is that unfortunately he has a history of regular and serious injuries.
@Bokhoring (Comment 21) : He has had his share, but not as much as Jean de Villiers,who went to three World Cups and never finished one,
come to think of it, the last time SA had a world class captain was way back 2009. (2010/11 John Smit doesnt count). Since then its been steadily downhill. Toss up between JdV and Strauss for the Most Average Captain and Player medal. Strauss by a nose if I had to pick one. I love Lambie but hes not my choice. Need killer instinct in that role. I would make Duane captain today and make him play here. I refuse to believe we cant find the money to pay the Springbok captain his salary. 2nd choice Jaco Kriel
@West Indies Cricket Board (Comment 23) : Killer instinct for captain? Why? Maybe a level head with very good appreciation for the rules and lots of experience at local and international levels. But killer instinct. We had a captain with killer instinct at the sharks. Bismarck. Didn’t help out cause much.
@West Indies Cricket Board (Comment 23) : Killer instinct for captain? Why? Maybe a level head with very good appreciation for the rules and lots of experience at local and international levels. But killer instinct. We had a captain with killer instinct at the sharks. Bismarck. Didnt help our cause much…
@coolfusion (Comment 25) : good point. Maybe killer instinct not the right description. Maybe I mean hunger then, or tenacity.
@coolfusion (Comment 25) : Im not saying Pat doesnt have it but does he inspire it in the others like Teichmann or Eales? Anyways im just chatting here. He hasnt been chosen yet. If he does Ill back him fully. He will be a Giant step up from Chris Farley.
@West Indies Cricket Board (Comment 27) : I unfortunately cant see Vermuelen being picked until maybe next years Rugby Championship if that. If Lambie stays fit i think he may have the inside line over Whiteley. But i feel its between the two of them going into next year.
@SheldonK (Comment 28) : Don’t rule out Juan deJonge just yet.
@The hound (Comment 29) : Possibly…but as an outsider i think
@KingRiaan (Comment 19) : you are backing Lambie . bit hypocritical dont you think ?
@The hound (Comment 29) : not even that [email protected]%ktard Coetzee would be that stupid, would he?
@West Indies Cricket Board (Comment 32) : Who was his last captain at the Stormers.
@The hound (Comment 33) : well if that happens the last of us will stop caring, then supersport will stop caring, then the sponsors will stop caring.
@Zibbie (Comment 31) : Why would that make me hypocritical? I will back him, same as I would back most of the candidates except De Jongh.
@The hound (Comment 29) : @SheldonK (Comment 30) : @West Indies Cricket Board (Comment 32) : then I’m buying a French jersey for sure!!!!!!!!
When did Pat state he prefers fullback?
@bokbok (Comment 37) : Also asked that question on another article…we must remember, it is News24 that is making that statement 😉
@HeinF (Comment 38) : was thinking the same thing, but they now mentioned it twice in recent weeks. 😕
@bokbok (Comment 37) : @HeinF (Comment 38) : probably when he was 19 years old and playing his first senior game!!!! 😉