‘This is a good time to face them’ – Siya Kolisi raring to go ahead of Springboks’ clash with Ireland
Springboks captain Siya Kolisi runs out.
Springboks captain Siya Kolisi admits their Rugby World Cup clash with Ireland is “as big as it gets” as the sides prepare to face off in Paris on Saturday.
The reigning world champions take on the sport’s number one ranked side in what should be a thrilling occasion at a packed Stade de France this weekend.
The result should decide who finishes atop Pool B and would likely see the winner avoid host nation France in the quarter-finals, who will be hard to beat.
Praise for Ireland
South Africa skipper Kolisi admits the showdown couldn’t be much bigger in terms of its importance and knows it will take their best for the Boks to prevail.
“This is as big as it gets,” said Kolisi ahead of the Paris meeting.
“They are the number one team in the world, and we are playing them in a World Cup. They’ve won 14 games in a row, and it will take a top performance to beat them. It is going to take something special to get out of this pool.”
He added: “We took a lot from the last match we played against them. And both teams are playing well, so this is a good time to face them. We want to play nice, competitive rugby and I believe the match will be tough and played in a good spirit.”
🗣️ "He’s got a good work rate, a good set-piece player, very good in the air in terms of line-out defence, a great feel for the game. A huge player for them." #RSAvIRE
☘️🇿🇦 James Ryan relishing battle with Eben Etzebeth in Paris. #RWC2023 https://t.co/KU74bgbQQK
— Planet Rugby (@PlanetRugby) September 21, 2023
Kolisi highlighted the importance of winning the breakdown battle this week, with South Africa certainly having plenty of specialists in that area in their 23.
“The breakdowns are going to be big,” he said. “They have a lot of players who are effective in that department, and I think that will have a big influence on the game.”
Meanwhile, Springboks head coach Jacques Nienaber stressed his side must be disciplined if they’re to come out on top and put themselves top of Pool B.
“When you have the top two teams in the world playing against one another discipline will be very important. If you concede penalties against a team like Ireland they’ll either get territory or points, so they’ll put us under pressure. We must be disciplined to get the right result,” he said.
Innovation from Boks
The boss was also inevitably questioned over his team’s decision to opt for the 7-1 split on the bench and stressed that innovation should not be discouraged.
“Innovation in any sport will trigger a reaction,” he said.
“This is the first time it’s done in rugby and that will come with positive and negative reaction, but nothing is stopping other teams from doing it.
“It would be a sad day if innovation is stopped, especially when it is within the laws.”
READ MORE: Bob Skinstad reveals the Springboks’ ‘secret weapon’ that will be key to defeating Ireland
