Siya Kolisi broke the record for Test wins as South Africa captain in Saturday's 29-24 win over New Zealand, but the Rugby's Greatest Rivalry (RGR) series has proven he is not only one of the greatest captains ever, but also one of the top flankers.
Kolisi's 55th Test win as captain saw him officially surpass John Smit's 54 for the Springboks, but realistically, he cemented his legacy as the greatest Bok captain to date when he became the first to lift a second successive Rugby World Cup in 2023.
Still, he has not unanimously been recognised as a top-tier loose forward in the history of the game. If there was any doubt remaining, this series should have put that to bed, and will be cemented in Baltimore on Saturday.
Leadership aside, the difference between a Springbok side with and without Kolisi has been absolutely visible in pure rugby terms.
In the first Test, the Boks started with a loose trio of Paul de Villiers, Pieter-Steph du Toit, and Jasper Wiese.
They fared well in the first half, but Wiese aside, lost control in the second. Marco van Staden - who came on for de Villiers after the hour-mark - was yellow-carded late on, doing little to help the cause.
Kolisi returned to the fold from injury for the second Test in Cape Town, scoring a crucial try and drawing a roar from the crowd with a huge hit on Ardie Savea as the latter received the ball at the back of a lineout.
He made a huge contribution in the third Test, too - particularly on defence when the Boks were under the cosh during periods of the first half.
On For the Love of Rugby, injury-embattled veteran Springbok prop Trevor Nyakane said: "If you sleep at a breakdown and Siya is around it, you best know he is going to put you on your back.
"If you really understand the game that we play, things like that - donkey work - it's invaluable.
"Most people don't see. You always see the guys that are scoring the tries, but you don't ask yourself: 'How did that space open up?'
"It comes from guys like Siya who will be selfless in the team, in the structure - understanding that it's not him. We all drink from the same cup. When we win, it's not one person that won; it's South Africa that won."
It is true that much of what Kolisi does goes unseen. However, the stats alone are increasingly beginning to favour the argument for the 35-year-old going down as one of the game's all-time greats in his position.
Only seven players playing predominantly as flankers have ever reached 110 Test caps: Richie McCaw, Pablo Matera, Michael Hooper, Alessandro Zanni, Peter O'Mahony, Ardie Savea, and George Smith.
Kolisi (currently on 106) is on course to become the eighth by the end of this year if he stays fit. McCaw is the only one among the seven flankers with 110 caps to have ever won a World Cup - captaining the All Blacks to victory in 2011 and 2015.
For a flanker to have the consistency of Kolisi in an elite team puts him in almost unparallelled territory. Being drafted into a series against the All Blacks after missing the first Test through injury and having such a clear impact aged 35 should see him honoured as world class in pure rugby terms alone.
He may have avoided placing himself among the game's all-time greats when he discussed the topic in his 2021 autobiography "Rise". However, much has changed since then.
Kolisi won a second World Cup. Then, he endured a difficult 2023-24 season with Racing 92 and announced later in 2024 that he would be getting divorced - but still won Rugby Championship titles in 2024 and 2025 even amid the personal turmoil.
In November 2025, he made it to 100 Springbok caps, and in 2026, he has played an instrumental role in salvaging the RGR series - which will either end in a draw or a Springbok win.
Kolisi will undoubtedly be honoured alongside McCaw as one of the game's greatest ever captains. When its greatest ever flankers are listed, both belong at the top.
