The coin toss moment when Siya Kolisi learned the Springboks already had the World Cup title in the bag
Despite the fact that England were coming off a masterful performance against New Zealand and South Africa had seemingly spluttered their way into the World Cup final, Springboks captain Siya Kolisi has revealed his team were supremely confident about how their match was going to unfold at 2019’s biggest rugby event.
While England were favourites heading into the game, South Africa slowly gained ascendency throughout the first half and came to life in the final quarter of the match when they scored two excellent tries.
While coaches have often overthought the week heading into a massive match, Kolisi has revealed that Rassie Erasmus kept the changes to a minimum.
Speaking to hosts Jean de Villiers and Schalk Burger on the Use It or Lose It Show, Kolisi said that very little changed following South Africa’s narrow 19-16 win over the Welsh.
“In the final week, for some reason, everything was just very chilled,” Kolisi said. “Nothing changed, we didn’t do anything special, everything was just the same.
“The nicest thing, to be honest, was having the families there. I would have a hard day at training or reviewing then get to my room. You get there and your kids don’t care how tough your day was and you go for a walk and all that kind of thing, [it was] quite chilled.”
Of course, the Springboks prepared hard for the match, focussing primarily on analysis of the English side and tactics, as opposed to on-field fitness and gym work.
“The amount of detail that we had to do on laptops, because [the coaches] wanted us off our feet, so we just watched [England match footage],” Kolisi said. “There were the key players, who kicks, what side do they kick from and all that kind of stuff. So you can watch and kind of see this picture over and over and it plays in your mind the whole week.
“On match day, we came into the stadium early and instead of speaking to us – remember at the time in South Africa there was gender-based violence and all those negative things happening – he reminded us that this is not pressure. Pressure in South Africa is people not having jobs and there’s violence and everything that’s happening … [He said] ‘Just play for the people here and back at home’. I think, after that, there was not much else said.
Kolisi also revealed that even before the match kicked off, he knew his team were in a better frame of mind than their opposition, simply based on Owen Farrell’s demeanour at the coin toss.
“You know when you have that feeling, ‘there’s no way they’re going to beat us today’?” Kolisi said. “Even with the coin toss, when I saw Owen Farrell, he didn’t know which side he was at, which side was warming up, what team is he, A or B. Already I could see [he was flustered]. And they came late to the stadium.
“We were so confident from the first scrum, the guys were really hungry. I know people say Kyle got injured earlier but the way we’d been scrumming everybody else, I don’t think it would have made a difference.”
England’s late arrival to the stadium has been widely criticised while the likes of former coach Clive Woodward has lambasted the side for their approach to the week of the final.
Siya Kolisi's reported switch to Roc Nation Sports could be a game-changer for rugbyhttps://t.co/dj0wOXguNG
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) November 29, 2019
At the end of the match, South Africa triumphed 32-12 in the third World Cup title win since their first involvement in the competition back in 1995.
That final also marked Kolisi’s 50th match for the Springboks but the talismanic leader wasn’t able to run out on his own, as is common when a player hits a significant milestone – not that he was too fussed about it.
“They wanted me to run out first… but they said the moment was too big for me not to walk out with Owen Farrell – but I wouldn’t have done it differently.”
Burger then reminded Kolisi of his 50th cap for the Stormers, when Kolisi ran out to rapturous applause in Wellington against the Hurricanes.
“I was like, ‘Siya, you deserve it, go out for your 50th,'” Burger said. “And he was jogging out – and you sort of jog out together in the corner. The next moment, the crowd’s going ballistic and I don’t know what Siya’s thinking. He’s jogging and turns around and I’m jogging out and next to me is Ma’a Nonu, playing his 150th game.”
“I was like, ‘Oh – this wasn’t for me?’” Kolisi joked.
Comments on RugbyPass
‘radical’
1 Go to commentsCome back to Christchurch Robbie, please!
1 Go to commentsI think there is zero chance Sam Cane will be selected for another Test. There is simply no point except sentimentality. Razor is not sentimental- ask Wyatt Crocket. Razor is a ruthless selector
4 Go to comments> It would be best described as an elegant solution to what was potentially going to be a significant problem for new All Blacks coach Scott Robertson. It is a problem the mad population of New Zealand will have to cope with more and more as All Blacks are able to continue their careers in NZ post RWCs. It will not be a problem for coaches, who are always going to start a campaign with the captain for the next WC in mind. > Cane, despite his warrior spirit, his undoubted commitment to every team he played for and unforgettable heroics against Ireland in last year’s World Cup quarter-final, was never unanimously admired or respected within New Zealand while he was in the role. Neither was McCaw, he was considered far too passive a captain and then out of form until his last world cup where everyone opinions changed, just like they would have if Cane had won the WC. > It was never easy to see where Cane, or even if, he would fit into Robertson’s squad given the new coach will want to be building a new-look team with 2027 in mind. > Cane will win his selections on merit and come the end of the year, he’ll sign off, he hopes, with 100 caps and maybe even, at last, universal public appreciation for what was a special career. No, he won’t. Those returning from Japan have already earned the right to retain their jersey, it’s in their contract. Cane would have been playing against England if he was ready, and found it very hard to keep his place. Perform, and they keep it however. Very easy to see where Cane could have fit, very hard to see how he could have accomplished it choosing this year as his sabbatical instead of 2025, and that’s how it played out (though I assume we now know what when NZR said they were allowing him to move his sabbatical forward and return to NZ next year, they had actually agreed to simply select him for the All Blacks from overseas, without any chance he was going to play in NZ again). With a mammoth season of 15 All Black games they might as well get some value out of his years contract, though even with him being of equal character to Richie, I don’t think they should guarantee him his 100 caps. That’s not what the All Blacks should be about. He absolutely has to play winning football.
4 Go to commentswhat’s happening to Ian Peel?
1 Go to commentsAs a Crusaders fan , so disappointed , again.But I think Fergus Burke was all class for the Crusaders in his first game since October last year. Fletcher Newell , was so good at prop. Johnny McNicoll has been gold since returning from Wales. Noah Hotham brilliant , in a coming of age second season for the Crusaders.Jone Rova did really well at centre. The end of the game was tough.Sevu Reece , what a game/season in tough times.
1 Go to commentsFellas a balloon
3 Go to commentsBlues B team on display and made no race of it. By far the best team in SR with the Hurricanes barely getting past the winning post. Up the Blues 💙
7 Go to commentsWould be amazing to have Servette Genève reaching this level
3 Go to commentsThe Crusaders can't buy a win this season. Surely Penney's contract won't be renewed. There's still enough talent in the squad that they oughta be winning more.
1 Go to commentsABs captain for 23 seasons. Decent record. Surely nobody will surpass it. Legend. But alas a typo…
4 Go to commentsJust FYI Rugbypass, I for one am tired of your clickbait titles and thumbnails and will be clicking them no longer. Good day.
1 Go to commentsI think Farrell despite all of the stick he gets in the media is still one of if not the best fly half in the world. He is literally the full package. He can kick one of the best in the world, probably has the best defensive game of a fly half in the world and if he wants to he can run, take contact and find an offload to keep the pace of the attack. I dont know why he isnt spoken more about still being one of the best in the world with the likes of dupont. Farrell is the ultimate captain and team leader and is experienced- he has been in nearly any situation you can think of. I still believe due to these reasons that he is England’s best ever player and is still one of the best players in the world.
48 Go to commentsBlues are dominating up front and that’s been a long time coming. They have won the up front confrontation which is where canes, hilanders and act brumbies are also strong.
7 Go to commentsJust watched brumbies v safas game sadly not a show in he’ll thryr anywhere near quarters or semi contention. Admittedly some issues around new comers bot what stands out for me is coaching management, poor game planning and accuracy.
5 Go to commentsOne tough SOB!
16 Go to commentsI’ve put on 4/5 kilos since the beginning of the season too. Not good kilos. Bad kilos.
7 Go to commentsSurely there’s a ‘no knobheads’ policy ?
3 Go to commentsWallaroos have no chance of beating the Black Ferns unless Canada upsets them in Christchurch tomorrow but I doubt that as well!
1 Go to commentsWhat a joke. Could the victim do a course to reverse the long term CTE damage from the cheapshot?
2 Go to comments