Springbok captain Siya Kolisi said the Springboks set their sights firmly on trying to clinch the Freedom Cup for the first time since 2009 when they line up against New Zealand in the Castle Lager Rugby Championship at DHL Stadium in Cape Town on Saturday at 17:00 (SA Time).
Kolisi said he expects a gruelling encounter on Saturday, and the Bok captain also assured the media on Friday that he was ready for the match after suffering a nasal fracture in last week’s 31-27 victory in Johannesburg.
“I’m fine, there’s nothing I can do about it,” said Kolisi. “I spoke to the team doctor, and he said it’s all about how much pain I can take.
“I’ve trained all week, which is all I needed to do to be selected. The worst that can happen is that it (my nose) breaks worse, but I’m planning to get it fixed anyway.”
Of his decision to put his country before his own health in this massive encounter, the double Rugby World Cup-winning skipper said: “It’s not just important for me, the match is huge for the whole team.
“We are in a place we’ve never been before in the Castle Lager Rugby Championship and over and above that, we’ve only seen photographs of the Freedom Cup; most of us in this group haven’t touched it.
“We are also playing in Cape Town for the first time in many years, and a good result this weekend could place us in a favourable position to win the competition.
“So, for us, the key is to put our front foot forward from the outset, rather than trying to fight back the way we did last week. The players the All Blacks have selected show how they want to play, so it is crucial for us to start this match strongly.”
Kolisi was excited about taking the field in front of a crowd that has traditionally shown strong support for New Zealand and said the Boks understood the reasons for that, and that they embraced all the supporters.
“This is going to be a great occasion,” said Kolisi. “We would obviously like as many South African supporters there as possible, but we have to respect all the supporters and their views, so there are no hard feelings from us.
“The main thing will be to go out there and play the best rugby we can. If we do that, hopefully, we can sway a few supporters our way.”
