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Bok captain Kolisi full of praise for the support they received in Mbombela

Springboks players celebrate with replacement back Willie le Roux after he scored a late try to down New Zealand during their Rugby Championship clash at Mbombela Stadium.
Springboks players celebrate with replacement back Willie le Roux after he scored a late try to down New Zealand during their Rugby Championship clash at Mbombela Stadium.
Image: PHILL MAGAKOE/AFP via Getty Images

Springbok captain Siya Kolisi was full of praise for the supporters who packed Mbombela Stadium to the brim and inspired the team to a 26-10 Rugby Championship win over New Zealand on Saturday.

The win was the first for the Springboks over New Zealand on home soil since 2014 when Pat Lambie slotted a 52-metre penalty in the dying minutes at Ellis Park.

The victory was also by the largest margin (16 points) since SA returned from international isolation in 1992 and the second largest of all time.

“I just don’t know how SA people do it,” said Kolisi after the match.

“The way they turn up with everything that’s going on in our country. People who can afford it come along and fill up the stadium for us and it means the world to us as a team.

“Running out and hearing people screaming like that it drives us as a team. That’s what Jacques (Nienaber) always reminds us. If I make a mistake in the game, you keep going because it’s about the people who are coming each and every time to watch us play.

“I hope we made them proud today, because they definitely got us going from the anthem onwards.”

The win was secured through two tries by winger Kurt-Lee Arendse and replacement back Willie le Roux while the All Blacks replied through a try by Shannon Frizell and Jordie Barrett with one penalty and a conversion.

The other notable contributor for the victory for the Springboks was flyhalf Handré Pollard who sparkled with the boot as he kicked two conversions, three penalties and a drop goal for his handsome return of 16 points.

Boks coach Jacques Nienaber also praised the players showing intensity.

“We spoke about it in the week and all we asked was to pitch up with intensity and try and be accurate in what we had planned and I thought we did it well,” said the coach, admitting that they are not the finished article yet.

“I don’t think we’re the finished product yet but we did a good assessment after the Wales series. I think we have improved, I think we have built on stuff that we thought there wasn’t good growth in the Wales series.

“I think we are slowly really building our game, but I don’t think it is the finished product yet.”

Kolisi went on to say that the result was only one step in a long campaign.

“It feels good tonight, but we know the Championship is not done yet. We have five more games to go but the next important one is next week. But to win tonight in front of a crowd like that was very special.”


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