Siya Kolisi: ‘We’ve only seen photographs of the Freedom Cup’
Springboks captain Siya Kolisi and the Freedom Cup.
Siya Kolisi underlined that the Springboks are solely focused on claiming the Freedom Cup when they face the All Blacks in Cape Town this weekend.
The Springboks last won the Freedom Cup in 2009 with the All Blacks dominating the trophy since then. However, this year the hosts are in prime position to push for the trophy after beating the All Blacks 31-27 in an enthralling Ellis Park Test.
Ready to play
It was that same game where Kolisi copped a nasty blow to the face breaking his nose in the process throwing his involvement in the second Test in doubt. The inspirational skipper decided to delay the surgery to reset his nose so that he could play in the Cape Town Test.
“I’m fine, there’s nothing I can do about it,” said Kolisi. “I spoke to the team doctor, and he said it’s all about how much pain I can take.
“I’ve trained all week, which is all I needed to do to be selected. The worst that can happen is that it (my nose) breaks worse, but I’m planning to get it fixed anyway.”
The captain’s commitment to play through injury shows just how important the upcoming game is for the Springboks as they eye the Freedom Cup and the Rugby Championship.
“It’s not just important for me, the match is huge for the whole team.
“We are in a place we’ve never been before in the Castle Lager Rugby Championship and over and above that, we’ve only seen photographs of the Freedom Cup; most of us in this group haven’t touched it.
“We are also playing in Cape Town for the first time in many years, and a good result this weekend could place us in a favourable position to win the competition.
“So, for us, the key is to put our front foot forward from the outset, rather than trying to fight back the way we did last week. The players the All Blacks have selected shows how they want to play, so it is crucial for us to start this match strongly.”
“You can never relax”
Assistant coach Mzwandile Stick underlined how well the All Blacks have bounced back in the past emphasising how the Springboks “can never relax” when playing their old foe.
“You can never be comfortable playing against New Zealand,” said Stick.
“We saw after the match we won against them in Mbombela [last year] how they bounced back, and they did the same against Argentina earlier in the competition this year, so if we are not at our best, they can put you away.
“They’ve also selected backs that we cannot afford to allow space. We’ve certainly learned from the past what can happen if we don’t pitch up properly mentally and physicality.
“You can never relax when you play against them, and as Siya said, we’ve never been in a position like this in the tournament. We know how tough it’s going to be to try to secure a win, and to win the Freedom Cup.
“It’s a special trophy and with our country celebrating 30 years of democracy it’s an important occasion for South Africa, so we’ll do everything we can to win the trophy.
“That said, most of the games between us recently could have come down to the last second. In fact, the only match in which we were in a comfortable position against them was in the Rugby World Cup warm-up game at Twickenham last year.
“We know they’ll be desperate to get five points from this match. It will be tough, but we live for moments like these.”
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