With John Smit recovering from surgery and Victor Matfield likely to be given a rest, who will lead South Africa on the their end-of-year tour?

There was a lot of mixed reaction to the news that South Africa's most capped skipper would not be at the helm when the Springboks embark on their Grand Slam tour in November. While many are worried that the team will simply not be a cohesive unit without their undisputed leader, there are plenty of fans that welcomed the news that a younger set of legs will be packing down in the front row.

Assuming the current coaching team remains in place - and all indications are that Peter de Villiers and co. will keep their jobs - it seems clear that Smit will captain the side at next year's World Cup.

But who will take over in November? As vice-captain, Matfield is the obvious candidate, but the Bulls skipper has played a lot of rugby this year, far more than was originally hoped, meaning there is a strong argument for him to put his feet up and have a proper break rather than risk sustaining a serious injury in Europe.

It's almost impossible to imagine that a new captain will be picked from outside the current group of senior players which narrows the list down significantly.

Don't be surprised if Chiliboy Ralepelle gets the job. The Bulls hooker has long been seen as the natural successor to Smit. Having gone to the same school, they share a close relationship. Since Jake White handed 'Chili' the reigns for a midweek game against World XV back in 2006, he has been groomed somewhat as a future Bok leader. His appointment would also go down very well with certain elements of the South African government.

But is Ralepelle good enough for the starting XV? Most would consider Bismarck du Plessis the first-choice hooker and it would certainly be a shame to see the Sharks charger forced to ride the bench (again).

Fourie du Preez would be a strong candidate but he is still recovering from shoulder surgery meaning he won't be on the flight North.

Stormers captain Schalk Burger is another possible leader after guiding the Cape side to the Super 14 Final, but he too has had a long season and the arguments for resting Matfield must surely also apply.

Cheetahs skipper Juan Smith, on the other hand, is fresher than most of his Bok team-mates having missed part of the Super 14 after his father passed away and was absent from the overseas leg of the Tri-Nations as he returned from injury.

Smith is a stalwart in the Bok back row and commands the respect of all his team-mates. He is also an experienced captain having led the Cheetahs for many years.

Jean de Villiers is another senior player in with a shout having already captained the Springboks before (against the World XV at Ellis Park is 2006) but his stint away from the team while in Ireland could be to his disadvantage.

An outside bet is Emerging Boks captain Dewald Potgieter, who, unlike Smith, is very comfortable in dealing with the press but, like Ralepelle, is not guaranteed a place in the starting line-up.

So who will it be? If Matfield doesn't tour the logical choice seems to be Smith - but we won't be putting any money on it.