Holiday or not – we must honour Siya Kolisi and Springboks team

While the image of Siya Kolisi hoisting the Webb Ellis Cup into the Paris night sky will be emblematic for many as the face of Rugby World Cup victory – it was the battered face of Springbok flyhalf Handre Pollard which summed up the bloody brutal encounter with the All Blacks.

Pollard had a deep gash to his cheek bone, but didn’t even bother trying to wipe away the stream of blood which flowed from it.

He probably only noticed later, when told to clean up a bit for the presentations.

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This was the face of a man who had thrown himself into battle. But he was not the only one.

The Springboks eventually won the war at Stade de France by launching themselves again and again into desperate tackles.

It was as if their lives depended on it. No surprise that Pieter-Steph du Toit was Man of the Match for his almost superhuman work rate on the field.

Make no mistake – without that absolute Springbok commitment to move beyond that sporting cliché and literally put their bodies on the line, the All Blacks would have been going home with the Cup.

They were our toughest opponents by far, even though we also beat them – as we did the French and English – by the slender margin of just one point.

The Washington Post described South Africa’s quarterfinal, semifinal and final win taking “close calls to a new level”, dubbing the team the “one point wonders”.

And the All Blacks, playing with 14 men for most of the match, showed why they were favourites going into the game.

Just one example of their toughness was the fact that our much-vaunted scrum couldn’t grind theirs into the turf – despite them having to draft in centre Jordi Barret for duty as flank, after captain Sam Cane was given a red card in the 27th minute.

The New Zealanders were also gracious in defeat – a sign of the deep respect that both teams have for each other – unlike the churlish English and French and their fans.

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This was, again, not pretty rugby.

It was cup final rugby, with no quarter asked or given and even though most fans on both sides expected it to be tight, it was only as referee Wayne Barnes blew for full time that the whole of South Africa could release a collective sigh and relief… and start partying.

It has been said many times before – by Kolisi in particular – that this team played their hearts out for their country. It was, they all realised, about much more than just rugby.

Their discipline, unity of purpose and team spirit were a template for what South Africa as a whole can be if we work together and put race and class behind us in a common struggle.

The spirit of celebration will probably go long into next week and will settle across the whole country as the Boks take their trophy to the people.

But, will the euphoria dissipate and will be soon again be at each other’s throats while our politicians continue to steal us blind? No. It doesn’t have to be that way.

President Cyril Ramaphosa can make a good start in his address to the nation tonight by declaring the public holiday he promised.

That would emphasise the magnitude of the victory and continue the momentum for change which the rugby triumph presents.

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