Reaction from Malotana after Springboks’ win
Commentator has high praise for national squad
s former Springboks centre Kaya Malotana has said, winning a fourth Rugby World Cup title is more than just a sporting achievement for SA.
It’s a source of national pride, a catalyst for positive change, and a unifying force for a country facing many social challenges.
The Springboks have become a symbol of hope and inspiration for the people of SA.
The grand finale nail-biting, edge-of-your-seat game, with a missed try by SA, and a missed penalty by New Zealand which could have easily flipped the jovial victory into a sombre atmosphere for SA fans, ended in a tight 12-11 score in Stade de France on Saturday.
Malotana, a former Queenian and now a Xhosa rugby commentator, described the final as “quite a nervewracking and ugly rugby experience, but effective”.
While the spectators could
Aenjoy the game and cheer for the Springboks, as a commentator Malotana was focused on providing a detailed and accurate commentary for the viewers at home.
“I was commentating during the game so I didn’t get to enjoy it like everyone, I was tired, like I had just played the game myself, such was the emotion.”
The commentator said the victory for the national team wasn’t just about the accolades for the team’s captain Siya Kolisi, coach Jacques Nienaber or director of rugby Rassie Erasmus, but about creating a lasting legacy for the whole squad and country as a whole.
He credited Erasmus and Nienaber for building a great team spirit and putting in hard work and careful planning, adding that the team’s success is a testament to their confidence in their plan.
He said the team spirit was one of the best he had seen and that it was one of the things Erasmus and the team got right in setting the vision, with the focus being bringing hope to all South Africans.
“It needed to have a solid foundation of self-respect and respect among peers, admiration of everyone’s talent in the group and a work ethic that comes with trying to inspire a whole nation.
“The work that they put in to ensure that the guys respected each other on and off the field (was impressive). All these guys are close which contributed to the kind of team spirit they had.
“The cornerstones of their success are the love and care they shared for each other,” Malotana said.