Siya Kolisi was an incredibly proud Springbok captain after his team sealed a 3-1 series win over the All Blacks in Rugby's Greatest Rivalry.
Siya Kolisi with Bok fans in Baltimore. Picture: Caean Couto/Getty Images
Springbok captain Siya Kolisi paid an emotional tribute to the people of South Africa and the rugby fans from the country and from New Zealand, after the Boks secured a 43-28 win over the All Blacks in the fourth Test at the M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore on Saturday to win Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry.
The first traditional tour between the two nations since 1996 ended with the Boks winning the series 3-1, after losing the opener at Ellis Park, before bouncing back with wins in Cape Town and Soweto, before concluding things with an impressive win in the USA.
Speaking after the match, Kolisi hailed the impact of coach Rassie Erasmus, explaining how his influence and efforts to keep the players grounded and focused on who they are playing for, is the driving force behind their success.
‘We’ve got Rassie’
“We have got coach Rassie. He knows how to get the best out of us. When he speaks to us he reminds us of where we come from. The players that are not in the group today, the guys that are injured, the guys that couldn’t make the tour, we do this for them,” said Kolisi in a television interview on the field.
“Also the people of South Africa, who would love to have the opportunity we have … each and every day the struggles and everything they go through, so we do it for the people.
“He [Rassie] speaks most to us not about the rugby itself, but more about where we come from, and that’s what guides us.”
A packed crowd of over 68,000 people watched the finale of Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry in Baltimore, and plenty of South Africans turned up and cheered the team on to a fantastic win, which Kolisi fully acknowledged.
“I want to thank every single South African here in the stadium and back home. It was a special week and great to see you guys come out in your numbers to support us (in the US). We are so grateful, we do it for you each and every single time and we could hear you today. So thank you so much,” said Kolisi.
“To the New Zealand fans, thank you for coming to our beautiful country South Africa. Thank you for embracing our culture and our people and I hope you enjoyed your time in South Africa and in the United States as well.”
Proud Taylor
New Zealand captain on the night Codie Taylor cut a disappointed figure after the match, but admitted he was proud of his team’s efforts and said he believed this was a stepping stone for them to move onto bigger and better things in the future.
“We talk a lot about moments when we do our team review in the week, and South Africa have just sacked a few more moments against us in the last couple of games,” explained Taylor.
“We had a couple of opportunities that we let them off the hook with. But full credit to them. They’re a great side, they have proven why they are world champions and I look forward to playing them again whenever that is in the future.
“We don’t die wondering. There is a lot of effort that goes into each week and each Test. I am so proud of the whole group, not just the players but the management and everyone. It has been an awesome tour, we have learnt so much and I know this will set us up for what is to come in the future.
“It’s a good stepping stone. We are in an interesting place at the moment as a rugby nation. We gave it our all this series, we have fallen short, but I can assure everyone here and back home that we are working hard, growing as a group, and will hopefully be here again in the future.”
