Springboks hungry for more
KOLISI: WINNING WHILE WE ARE LEARNING CRUCIAL FOR OUR DEVELOPMENT
Captain excited over returning to the blindside flank against the Pumas.
There is a hunger within the Springbok ranks to build on the solid start in June when the Rugby Championship opens against Argentina this afternoon, said captain Siya Kolisi yesterday.
Kolisi has led the Boks to two wins in three starts against England with the final Test loss an anticlimax after coach Rassie Erasmus made experimental changes.
“We want to build on what we started in June. We always want to improve and get better and the coach have a long-term plan with the World Cup in mind,” Kolisi said. “And we want to win while learning – not losing and learning – and make sure our effort and intensity are always on top.”
While an half-empty stadium could await them, Kolisi said they know it’s going to be tough as the Pumas have a new coach in Mario Ledesma which brings new excitement, but said they are excited to start off the Championship.
“It helps a lot with a guy like Warren (Whiteley) in the side and his good leadership skills and he will take a lot of responsibility off my shoulders,” he said.
“I’m also excited about returning to the blindside position and that’s where I originally started playing under coach Rassie in my first few years at the Stormers.”
Kolisi just laughed when asked what he made of lock Eben Etzebeth’s remark that he just “loved” Kolisi as a player and as a Stormers and Bok team-mate.
“I thought he was joking, but our friendship started when we were still in high school and that’s one of the reasons why I moved to Cape Town from PE,” he said.
“A lot of people would think that he being captain before and me being captain now will stand between us, but in fact it made the friendship just stronger.
“At times it was tough, but I know how hard he has worked and how much it hurt him not being able to play back in June.”
After struggling with form at openside, Kolisi said he is excited with what the game could hold.
“You definitely get more ball there than at the openside so it’s an exciting prospect. I do feel really good, I had a week off after our last match in Super Rugby and then obviously we had a two-week camp in Stellenbosch,” he said.
Kolisi said he struggled after getting injured before the first game of the competition.
“Which made it really tough but I feel a lot stronger now than in the June Tests or any stage of Super Rugby.” Kick-off: 5.05pm
Durban – Despite the relative inexperience of the Springbok backline in the Rugby Championship opener against Argentina this afternoon, outside centre Lukhanyo Am (right) believes their combinations are starting to bear fruit.
Am has just three Test caps, midfield partner Andre Esterhuizen just two, left-wing Aphiwe Dyantyi three and right-wing Makazole Mapimpi just one.
But Am believes having formed a potent midfield combination at the Sharks with Esterhuizen in Super Rugby could only work to the advantage of the team.
“It makes it easier having played together at the Sharks, but we never done it at international level,” he said.
The more inexperienced backline players are fullback Willie le Roux with 44 caps, flyhalf Handre Pollard with 29 caps and scrumhalf Faf de Klerk with 14 Test matches under his belt.
Am, however, is a firm believer that the tough nature of the Super Rugby competition has helped him and Esterhuizen.
“The experience of playing together as a combination at the Sharks for so long definitely helped us grow as players individually and also combining better and the understanding of one another in pressure situations,” he said.
“Makazole comes in at rightwing having made his debut against Wales but then had to stand back to see how fellow Sharks wing Sbu Nkosi earned three caps against England. Then an injury ruled him out of the start of the Championship.
“Knowing Makazole from the Sharks for sure helps,” said Am.
“But we have also been in camp together for more than two weeks and having also played together before in Super Rugby it will really help.”
While Am is currently preferred to the more experienced Jesse Kriel in the No 13 jersey, Am doesn’t feel it has increased the pressure on him.
“We take the opportunities that have been given to us and try to make the best out of it and approach it game by game while we wait to see what the coach has in mind for the remainder of the Championship.”