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Cape Town - Springbok skipper Adriaan Strauss has had his captaincy of the national team extended until the end of the year.
As it happened: Springboks v Ireland, 3rd Test
Strauss, 30, who was named interim skipper for the recently concluded three-Test series against Ireland, will lead the Boks in the upcoming Rugby Championship (home and away Tests against New Zealand, Australia and Argentina) as well as the team's end of year tour to the Northern Hemisphere where they will play matches against the Barbarians, England, Italy and Wales.
Coach Allister Coetzee confirmed the news following the Boks' 19-13 series-clinching victory over Ireland at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth on Saturday.
Coetzee declared himself "satisfied" with the contributions of his captain during the series.
"Adriaan has been appointed as captain for the rest of the year," Coetzee said.
The appointment likely confirms the end of the Bok career of Bismarck du Plessis - for the foreseeable future at least.
Du Plessis, 32, has pledged his allegiance to Jake White's Montpellier in France and one simply cannot see a player of his stature willing to warm the bench, playing second-fiddle to Strauss.
Bongi Mbonambi, who was the back-up hooker during the Ireland series, eventually made his debut in the 79th minute of the final Test in Port Elizabeth.
Mbonambi is likely to fight out the battle for "second best" with Stormers team-mate Scarra Ntubeni and Lions rake Malcolm Marx.
