South Africa's flanker Siya Kolisi takes a selfie with supporters after South Africa won the Rugby Championship Test match between South Africa and New Zealand at the Ellis Park Stadium in Johannesburg on August 31, 2024. Picture: Phill Magakoe / AFP.
Springbok captain Siya Kolisi was immensely proud of the effort of his team to never give up and stage a terrific fight back to clinch an incredible come from behind 31-27 win against the All Blacks at Ellis Park on Saturday.
It was an absolutely classic Rugby Championship encounter that ebbed and flowed, swung one way and back the other, and finished with over 60,000 fans roaring in delight as the Boks powered back to beat their greatest rivals in style at South Africa’s most iconic stadium.
After a fast start from the All Blacks, and early yellow card to fullback Aphelele Fassi, who enjoyed a superb game otherwise, the visitors led 7-0, only for the Boks to hit straight back and make it 7-5, before the arm wrestle of a half ended with the visitors 12-11 up at the break.
The first 25 minutes of the second half then belonged to the All Blacks as they moved into a 19-11 and 27-17 lead, before the Boks came storming back in the final 15 to secure an incredible win.
Kolisi explained after the match that the team never stopped believing or panicked in any way, while many of the guys stood up and made their voices heard, no matter how experienced they were.
“Whenever we are behind, we never panic. We have been in far worse positions before and have come back,” said Kolisi.
When they scored first in the second half we came together and we said ‘cool, amazing, they’ve scored an intercept try, let’s go to the next set.’ Nobody panicked.
“We have so many cool heads and leaders, if I’m not talking, Eben’s talking or if it’s not him it’s Pieter-Steph or even the young guys with just a couple of caps.
“They’re given the license by the coach to speak because rugby knowledge isn’t measured by the number of caps you have. If you know or see something, say it. And that’s the great thing about this team today.”
After the match Kolisi was asked where the game ranked in terms of intensity in his career so far, with last year’s World Cup final probably the benchmark for the two-time World Cup winning skipper.
“It’s hard to say now, I will have to look at it. But we knew (what was coming). The coaches prepared us (well) and we knew (this was going to be a fight). (Last year) they beat us in Auckland and then we had to get up when we played them in London,” explained Kolisi.
“Games like these, you just know they are written in the stars, and we wouldn’t have it any other way. It was difficult and we had to fight like that. But it was definitely one of the most intense for us.”
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