Springbok captain Siya Kolisi at a team training session ahead of their match against England on Saturday. Picture: David Rogers/Getty Images
Springbok captain Siya Kolisi admitted that he was driven by the teams loss against England in 2021, and not their 2019 World Cup win, ahead of the two teams final end-of-year-tour-match at Twickenham on Saturday evening (kick-off 7:30pm).
The Bok famously beat England 32-12 in the final of the 2019 World Cup, to clinch their third title, but Kolisi explained that last year’s one point defeat at Twickenham was a lot sharper in his memory.
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“I have a clear memory of what happened last year, 2019 was a long time ago. We lost last year, so we don’t have to look that far for motivation,” said Kolisi
“I have never won at Twickenham, and neither have many of the guys so we are ready for this game. The result tomorrow is very important, we want to finish a difficult year on the right note, and we also want to take momentum into the New Year.
“This is a fitting fixture to finish the year. The rivalry between us and England goes way back, and when you see this game on the calendar you get excited. What a stadium, what an atmosphere, and there is never a dull moment.”
Kolisi explained that it would be an extremely tough match for the Boks to win, and that they need to be at their very best if they want to walk away from Twickenham with a win over the hosts for the first time since 2014.
“Both teams will give it all in a packed stadium and we are ready for action. It is so difficult to win here, you saw that with the All Blacks drawing last week when it seemed the game had been won, and we are going to give it our very best shot,” admitted Kolisi.
“So a win isn’t just important for the tour but also for our momentum going forward.”
Looking at the England team, Kolisi said they were stacked with stars that could trouble any of the top teams in the world, and the Boks would have to be wary on various fronts as they have many game changers.
“They are all great players. You can go down the whole team. Owen Farrell is a great leader. I have spoken to guys he has played with and I know how hard he is on the guys,” said Kolisi.
“Marcus Smith is doing it at international level. Ellis Genge is strong up front, Maro [Itoje] is very good in the line-out, controlling the set piece and messing up the opposition set piece. They are an amazing team and that is why it is hard to win.”