Cape Town — Springbok captain, Siya Kolisi, said his side is focused on winning the Freedom Cup ahead of the much anticipated Rugby Championship clash between the Springboks and All Blacks in Cape Town today.
The Springboks have put themselves in a strong position to win this year’s Rugby Championship after two wins away against Australia, and a pulsating 31-27 win against New Zealand in Johannesburg last week.
A victory against the All Blacks on Saturday would not only secure the Rugby Championship title they have won only once before, but it would also ensure that South Africa wins the Freedom Cup, which is contested between the two countries.
South Africa last won it in 2009, long before Kolisi and the rest of the current squad made their debuts, and he said during a media briefing that it is the one thing the squad is desperate to get their hands on.
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“It’s not just huge for me alone, it’s huge for the whole team. We are in a place that we’ve never been before, as this group in the Rugby Championship,” he said, adding that the team has not been consistent enough throughout the whole competition to win it.
“The Freedom Cup is something that we only see in pictures or when we walk past it, we have never been able to touch it and it is big. And also coming back to Cape Town as well playing here after so many years.
He also explained why he chose not to undergo treatment for the fractured cheekbone he suffered during last week’s game, saying the desire to play and win was too strong.
“There is so much to play for we can put ourselves in a very good position for the Rugby Championship and we can win the Freedom Cup and all the other stuff. It’s not about me. If I wasn’t OK, it wouldn’t change anything for the group. I just really want to play the game. I wanted the opportunity and the doctor gave me the opportunity.” he said.
🇿🇦 Siya Kolisi on the ‘huge’ Test against the All Blacks and why he choose to delay his treatment.
‘We’ve only seen the Freedom Cup in pictures’ 😂
Footage: @ForeverSportsOn #RSAvNZL #RugbyChampionship pic.twitter.com/DCDKKkuMvX
— Jared Wright (@jaredwright17) September 6, 2024
He said the team is prepared to face another onslaught from the All Blacks and make a better start to the game this week as he felt they could not afford to go behind as they did last week.
According to SABC News, Kolisi is also aware of what the team represents to South Africans, but also locals who support the All Blacks.
He said he respects everybody’s decision regarding which team they support and most crucially why they support the team they support.
” We have to respect everybody, there are reasons behind everything, it is nice that those things are explained to us why it is like that and we respect that and we just want to go there and play as best we can for everybody because people pay to see us when we play and hopefully one or two people can turn after the game and support us again,” he said.
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Compiled by Matthew Petersen
