Springbok captain Siya Kolisi said the team will not be pressured into chasing tries just to entertain the crowd in their last home game of the season.
In Durban — Rather than playing to entertain and chase a bonus point, the Springboks will respect Argentina and play balanced Test rugby when they clash in the Rugby Championship’s fifth round at Kings Park, Durban, on Saturday (kick-off 5.10pm).
Captain Siya Kolisi and assistant coach Mzwandile Stick echoed the words of head coach Rassie Erasmus earlier this week, when they held a press conference on the eve of the all-important match, which Kolisi likened to a “semi-final”.
All at stake in penultimate match
The Los Pumas made history last year when they beat all three opponents for the first time. They also beat the All Blacks in Argentina for the first time this year (29-23 in Buenos Aires).
This year, they look more capable than ever of not just beating all three opponents again, but winning it all.
Argentina sit at the bottom of the championship table, with nine points. But they are only two points behind Australia and one behind South Africa and New Zealand after every side has won two games and lost two.
The Boks go into the match on the back of a record 43-10 win against the All Blacks, while Argentina beat Australia 28-26 in Sydney. They clash on Saturday before the final championship round next weekend, with the Springboks and Pumas facing off in London and the Wallabies hosting the All Blacks in Perth.
Springboks treat last home game like a semi-final
While Erasmus said it was important to express gratitude to fans in their last home game of the year by playing good rugby, they needed to focus on winning above all else.
Kolisi added: “It’s not about trying to put on a show. It’s about playing Test match rugby and trying to win games. It’s like playing a semi-final tomorrow [Saturday] because we and Argentina both have an opportunity to win the Rugby Championship.”
The Springbok captain added that Argentina will feel the Boks will be under pressure to score lots of tries in their last home game — “But we know what to do,” said Kolisi.
“But if we feel we can go for something we will go for it. But first and foremost, it’s to win the game. We are going to respect Argentina. We are going to play like it’s a semi-final this weekend.”
Kolisi said he was still grateful to fans for their support during a difficult season, where the Boks won poorly against Italy, and then lost to the Wallabies at Ellis Park for the first time since 1963, and then had their four-game winning streak against the All Blacks ended at Eden Park.
