Pat Lambie is the ‘automatic’ choice to captain the Sharks

Pat Lambie has been mentioned as a possible successor to Adriaan Strauss as captain of the Springboks.

And now he will certainly get plenty of opportunities to showcase those leadership skills after being appointed the Sharks’ full-time skipper for the 2017 Super Rugby campaign on Tuesday.

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However that might not be enough to even guarantee a spot in the national side.

With Bulls flyhalf Handre Pollard returning to full fitness, Lambie will be eager to stake his claim through his general play and not just his captaincy.

The 26-year-old playmaker will also be hoping to steer clear of the injuries that kept him out of the first half of last year’s tournament.

Lambie is no stranger to the leadership role, having been appointed last year.

As a result, new Sharks head coach Robert du Preez said continuing with him was obvious.

“Pat’s talent, temperament and outstanding character makes him an automatic choice,” said Du Preez.

“He’s a natural leader who provides great inspiration and motivation for our young players and he has all the qualities needed to be a great captain. Pat puts in the hard yards, leads by example and he has the respect and backing of everyone around him.”

Lambie pleaded with the team’s substantial legion of fans to get behind the Sharks after a couple of lean years in the competition.

“There is an exciting vision that we are working towards. It’s a huge honour for me to captain the Sharks again and I would like to thank our management for affording me the honour of leading a relatively young but exciting and talented team,” he said.

“With honour comes responsibility, and together with the other leaders in the team, we will provide guidance and support to our young players.”

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