Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus and captain Siya Kolisi praised the team for the fight they showed to win their final Castle Lager Rugby Championship match against the Pumas 29-27 at the Allianz Stadium, Twickenham, on Saturday, which saw them clinch the trophy in successive seasons for the first time ever, but admitted they had a lot of work to do before a challenging November tour.
Rassie Erasmus Speaks After Pumas Defeat (in Afrikaans)
Siya Kolisi Speaks After Pumas Defeat (in Xhosa)
We Know How to Win, We Know How to Fight, We Know How to Dig Deep…
Springbok Coach Rassie Erasmus and Captain Siya Kolisi field media questions about that Yellow Card whilst praising the team for the fight they showed to win their final Castle Lager Rugby Championship match against the Pumas 29-27 at the Allianz Stadium, Twickenham, on Saturday, which saw them clinch the trophy in successive seasons for the first time ever, but admitted they had a lot of work to do before a challenging November tour.
The Boks fought their way back from 13-3 down in the 25th minute to take a 15-13 lead shortly after halftime and then had to overcome a strong finish from Argentina in the second half to secure a nail-biting victory.
Erasmus and Kolisi praised the team for the win and thanked the fans for the support, but the Bok coach was honest in his opinion about the performance and said: “I’m satisfied with the result and winning the Castle Lager Rugby Championship back-to-back. This was a massive game for us, and although it was a far from perfect performance, I would prefer to see us learn while we are winning than losing.
“We are still in a good position for the Rugby World Cup draw, but there is no doubt we have five tough matches ahead, and there is a lot of work ahead for us.
“The reality is that Argentina defeated Australia, New Zealand, and the British & Irish Lions, so we’ll celebrate tonight and take that positive from this match.”
Erasmus and his skipper echoed their sentiments all week that it would be a tight battle, with the Bok coach saying: “We knew it would be tough and at halftime you could see the guys were tired, but at the same time Argentina played well.
“They played a loose game, and we got a yellow card in the first half, while there were also a few close calls that could have changed the game. But they definitely showed massive fight and that they can really take things to the gutters.”
Asked what the message was to the team at halftime, Kolisi said: “It was simple, and we all felt the same as the coaches. We needed to play with more unity, make fewer mistakes, and concede fewer penalties.
“But that said, all credit to Argentina. We knew they would come out fighting like that, and we know their mindset, so we knew we had to keep fighting until the end.”
Asked what made this team special, Kolisi said: “We know how to fight as a team and to dig deep, and that’s all thanks to coach Rassie in the way he made us change the way we think.
“This team have done a lot for the country, and I’m proud of the group and the coaches. They always come up with new ideas, and as players, we adapt and accept that.
“This Castle Lager Rugby Championship was tough, and anyone could have won it, so to be able to lift the trophy for the second time in a row is amazing for us and the country, and we are very grateful for all the support from all the fans at the stadium and from our people at home.”
purity
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Amphibi-Dangerous
Australia has produced many rugby legends, including David Campese, John Eales, and George Gregan. Campese, a prolific try-scorer and skilful winger, held the record for the most tries scored in test matches for Australia (64) until it was surpassed by Adam Ashley-Cooper in 2019. John Eales, known as “Nobody,” is a revered Wallabies captain who led the team to their second Rugby World Cup victory in 1999. George Gregan, a scrum-half, holds the record for the most appearances for the Wallabies with 139 caps.