Springboks captain Siya Kolisi shared with journalists information about his readiness for the second match of the greatest rugby rivalry against the All Blacks, which will take place in Cape Town on Saturday. Kolisi has recovered from a hamstring strain, and his leadership will be crucial in this game, from which much depends.
The psychological battle proved more difficult for Springboks captain Siya Kolisi than the physical recovery from the hamstring injury that caused him to miss the first match of this great confrontation against the All Blacks. Physically, his recovery went well, and he was not rushing back into play at Ellis Park. However, mentally, he had to remain focused, preparing for the second match in Cape Town on Saturday (starting at 17:10).
Kolisi will lead the world champions in this decisive match at the DHL stadium, taking over the captaincy from Pieter-Steph du Toit, who will play his 100th test match. The team skipper stated on Friday that the support of those around him significantly eased the recovery process.
He noted: 'I think people always assume that the hardest part is the injury itself, but you always know you will heal. But I think it's more related to the mental aspect (recovery). You don't know in which game you will return to the squad. But I have good support around me, you know, from the coaching staff, I think, and my teammates, and obviously our medical team was very good. Nevertheless, I am very happy to return and have the opportunity to play in this game.'
According to Kolisi, this is a critically important match within the four-match series, as the team aims to compensate for the 33-16 defeat suffered at Ellis Park last Saturday. Springboks controlled most of the first match but failed to capitalize on key moments, especially after several powerful scrums.
Nevertheless, Springboks have faced similar situations before during their World Cup victories in 2019 and 2023, as well as in the series against the British and Irish Lions, and they have demonstrated the ability to fight under pressure. Kolisi added that this is only the first of four matches, but the win on Saturday will be important.
'We have all been in this situation before, not just me, and we know how to handle this situation, both on and off the field. The most important thing is actually on the field. We need to go out and play, doing what the coach (Rassie Erasmus) said. When we watched the game after the first match, we watched it as rugby players together with the coaching staff. It was a big score, but we looked at what we missed, at all the opportunities. If we had capitalized on them, maybe everything would be different. We were lucky to have experience (playing in tough matches), but experience means nothing if you don't learn from the mistakes you made last week. If we create as many opportunities as last week, we must take more than we did. That was the biggest factor for me last week. The All Blacks didn't have many, but they used them when they appeared. And I think that's the most important thing. The volume of dominance we had in the first half, and we didn't get anything substantial for it. (Correct this) — that's the most important thing. This is a new game.'
