Jake White used to talk about this….leaders. We have so many leaders….Willie, Pollard, Eben, Dud Toit, Kolisi and at the WC Vermeulen.
Contrast England on Saturday…who could raise the team Itoje? George? They don’t have the same stature.
Take NZ now….there are no Retalliks, Whitelocks, Reads, Carters in the new team.
Gravitas comes with success and NZ just hasn’t had enough recent success to have a group of revered leaders in the team.
Ireland is probably the closest to us….but again with the retirement of Sexton there is a leadership gap in their back play,