Siya Kolisi: Springboks v Ireland is not ‘just another’ Test match
Siya Kolisi for Springboks against Ireland.
Springboks captain Siya Kolisi has admitted it is “not just another game” when they take on Ireland at a sold-out Loftus Versfeld on Saturday.
In the team’s first Test match on home soil since their Rugby World Cup triumph in France, South Africa face off against a side that has had their number of late.
They will meet Ireland in Pretoria this weekend before the second fixture at Kings Park in Durban on Saturday, July 13, with Kolisi relishing the upcoming series.
Not ‘just another’ Test
“To be able to come home and play for the people and the country who we have been playing for all along is very special,” the double World Cup winner revealed.
“This is the first time this specific group of players will face Ireland (with some of the newer players in the squad), and we haven’t beaten them since 2016. It’s also the first time we play on home soil, so we are really looking forward to the occasion.”
It promises to be a blockbuster contest and with Ireland having won the most recent three meetings between the teams, there is extra spice added to the occasion.
“We don’t look at those things (the world champions versus the Six Nations champions),” said flanker Kolisi when asked about the two sides’ standing in the game.
“For us it’s about going out there and trying to win the match. Ireland are the one team we haven’t been able to beat in a while, so it’s a big Test, and they are a side that have been doing very well in the last few years.
“There is no saying ‘it’s just another game’, no it’s not. It’s an important game, and I know for them it is too.”
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Kolisi highlighted the breakdown as being a pivotal area this weekend, with the Springboks well stocked with ‘fetchers’ both in the starting XV and on the bench.
“The breakdowns will be one of the big battles tomorrow. In the Rugby World Cup we conceded a few penalties there, and we know that if they get quick ball, they’ll be dangerous,” he said.
“From our point of view though, the system protects us, but we must also bring the individual skills that we each offer the team. In general, we need to be sharp, get to the breakdowns and advantage line quickly, and make good decisions. We also have to be clinical and physical.”
Kolisi returns to international action after a difficult first campaign at Racing 92 after which his physique was questioned by club president Jacky Lorenzetti.
However, the skipper is in a positive state of mind ahead of the series opener as he looks forward to pulling on the Springboks jersey once again on home soil.
“I feel good and strong, and with the new coaching staff I’m learning new things again,” he said.
“It feels different when one is in the Springbok squad, especially if one looks at the level of detail within the coaching staff and the mentality of the group, and that is something we’ll never take for granted.”
