Siya Kolisi said on Friday he was thrilled about becoming the ninth player in Springbok history to earn 100 Test caps, and while the Bok captain thanked all the role players in his journey to get him to this point, he said a good performance by the team would make it a memorable occasion for him.
Kolisi’s big day coincides with another significant milestone in the team, as Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus will guide the side in his 50th Test match as head coach.
The match at Stade de France kicks off at 22h10 (SA time) and will be broadcast live on SuperSport’s Grandstand and Rugby channels during DStv Open Time.
Commenting on the build-up to this massive occasion for him personally, Kolisi said: “It’s been a relaxed week. If we were at home, I think it would have been a little different. Obviously, I feel the occasion within the team, but the most important thing for me is what we do as a team tomorrow.
“I’ve been fortunate enough to have my children here and people who have been supporting me over the years, so it has been special in that sense. But the team comes before the individual in our set-up, and if the group does well, the milestone will be special anyway, so we just want to give ourselves the best chance to win tomorrow.”
Delving deeper into his feelings ahead of the game, the Bok skipper said: “I’m very proud and honoured, and I’m grateful to everyone who has played a part in my life because I would not be here without my community and the people of all walks of life who have helped me.
“The foundation of who I am, however, is from Zwide and the wider community. The people there parented me, and the teachers at school believed in me, and it was the same when I went to Grey High School.”
He added: “In the rugby environment, coach Rassie has been immense. He gave me my first contract, and then there was coach Heyneke (Meyer), Allister (Coetzee), who gave me my first start, and Jacques (Nienaber), as well as all my club coaches. I’ve taken lessons from them all. They could have chased me away, but they backed me.
“I’m also grateful to all my teammates from childhood to where I am today, and I carry all of them in each game, along with all the South Africans who expect so much from this team because they’ve seen what we are capable of.
“But I’m not doing it alone. I’m doing it with my teammates and all the people in the wider squad. It’s always a huge honour to wear the Springbok jersey, but to do it 100 times is extra special.”
Zooming in on the match, Kolisi expected an epic encounter against France, who they defeated 29-28 the last time the teams crossed paths in the 2023 Rugby World Cup quarterfinal, and he said the battle up-front and in the backline would be massive.
“This game is a big game for us, it’s like a knock-out game,” said the soon-to-be Test centurion.
“We also know how big the (world ranking) points will be for us if we win the match, so we are going out there with that mindset and we are looking forward to the game.
“Obviously, this match has different factors behind it, but for us, it’s a game we have to win so we can keep on being the top side in the world and get a good pool for the World Cup draw.
“We’ve seen in the media the hurt France are still carrying (from 2023), but for us, our purpose is constant. And that’s to represent our people and country, and also to win for coach Rassie to have a team that is transforming and building squad depth all the time. At the end of the day, it’s all about what’s going to happen between those four lines tomorrow.”
Kolisi elaborated on this saying: “Games against France are always big because it’s two big packs facing one another, and it’s important that the scrums and lineouts are dominant. They also have good backs, but so do we, and we are very similar teams with passionate fans, so there are many similarities between the sides.
“Physicality is going to be important tomorrow because winning the gain line and the breakdowns will determine which team wins, and of course, the side that uses their opportunities best.”
Springbok assistant coach Mzwandile Stick expected an equally gruelling encounter and made it clear that the Boks needed to be at their best to get the desired result at the iconic stadium.
“Romain Ntamack is the only player in their backline who didn’t play in 2023, and he’s a world-class player,” said Stick.
“If you look at the players around him as well, such as Thomas Ramos, and their wings, who are very fast and dangerous, we know that if we give them space and time, they’ll punish us.
“We know the nature of the French team. They’ll keep the ball in play, and they have a high-tempo game, so we know very well that to win against them, we need to be at our best.”
Stick added: “In 2023, if we weren’t at our best against them that day, they could have scored 40 points, and we are expecting the same tomorrow. It’s going to be a tough one, but we also know we have the right squad to handle this match.
“If you look at our backline, all the players except for Sacha (Feinberg-Mngomzelu) played in that match, so we’ll keep on doing our best to make our people proud at home.”
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