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Kolisi reacts to South Africa's first win in New Zealand since 2009
South Africa captain Siya Kolisi warned there is “so much more to do” after the Springboks shocked New Zealand in an enthralling 36-34 Rugby Championship triumph in Wellington.
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Rassie Eramus’ side had lost their past two matches and never won at Westpac Stadium, but a display of guts, guile and a splash of luck against an error-strewn All Blacks earned a famous win.
It is the first time South Africa have beaten the world champions in New Zealand since 2009 and also the highest points tally they have racked up as the world’s top-ranked team.
But skipper Kolisi says the win must be the start of what is to come.
Speaking after the match, he said: “I’m really happy. It’s been a tough, tough couple of weeks and the way we carried ourselves and believed in ourselves this week… I have no words, I can’t say more.
“Our main thing is effort with the team. We’ve let ourselves down in the last couple of games [defeats to Argentina and Australia].
“We’ve shown a little bit of what we can do. We have to build on this. All we have is each other away from home and the boys were there for each other.
“Last week we were struggling in the scrums and a little bit in the set-piece. We didn’t do anything differently. It’s just belief.
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“I have to give credit to the coaching staff. They’ve kept calm. The mindset they came with, they believed in us.
“All we wanted to do today was give 100 per cent for each other. We gave ourselves a chance and we should be proud of ourselves. There’s so much more to do.”
Congratulations @Springboks! It’s always a thrilling contest when we face each other. See you in Petoria! ????#NZLVRSA pic.twitter.com/M9oSjSWKSS
— All Blacks (@AllBlacks) September 15, 2018
New Zealand captain Kieran Read accepted his side, who would have retained the title with a bonus-point win, were below par in the first half, but had nothing but praise for South Africa.
“You’ve got to give them all the credit in the world, the way they defended in the second half. The boys kept working hard. They defended outstandingly well,” he said.
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“They came off the line and really put our skills under pressure. We give them their credit. They deserved the win. They put us under pressure and we didn’t respond the way we need to.
“The first half was disappointing. We were a little bit off the pace. They scored their tries around the outside and stretched us.
“We wanted to build our points through phases and were guilty of maybe not looking after the ball.
“It’s really disappointing. We didn’t want to finish our home season this way. The Championship is still on the line and now we’ve got to finish well on the road. The boys will learn lot of lessons from today.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Worst article I've read in a while. Trying to disguise a backhand slap as a compliment. The whole article is a bit weird and negative. I think South African men are emotional in general… think Clad le Clos’s father 2012 London Olympics.
2 Go to commentsIreland are going to win the world cup.
9 Go to commentsIt was the strangest result ever. Etzebeth should've been yellow card for his cynical retiring move and a penalty try. Birth second half tries by the Allblacks were fantastic and the TMO operating outside the law to rule out the first try was egregious. Yes, the boks got the win but it was through some bizarre officiating that allowed them to sneak home against 14 men that dominated them. The quieter Bok supporters know and acknowledge the Allblacks were the better and dominant side. Justifying the win because they beat a pre world cup Allblacks selection is silly.
204 Go to commentsA very English thing to do hey Courtney, blerrie kant
4 Go to commentsIt sounds like Andrew is trying to convince himself or has just lost all perspective. The team did look jaded for the last couple of games of the six nations but a few things were wrong there. Italy tackled their hearts out and made Ireland work hard for every try. Outsmarted by Scotland? Huh? Ireland got held up over the line about 4 times. Scotland did nothing on attack the whole game other than one breakaway near the end. A recharge and reset is needed which they hopefully will have had before the SA your.
9 Go to commentsIncluding SA and Argie teams was great for the quality of rugby, but middle of the night games and player travel/ jet lag make that unworkable. I think that SA in Europe and Argie building an American league with USA, Canada etc would be better long term. If Oz can't sustain Rebels then next cab off the rank should be a Japanese team. Keep regional comps to time zones, both club and test rugby. Then existing test windows for test tours plus RWC.
6 Go to commentsMisogynists have feelings too!
2 Go to commentsCrowd sizes of the URC v the Premiership must be a big factor.
1 Go to commentsWell you’ve made a proper tit of yourself, haven’t you! 😂
173 Go to commentsBen it's beyond their comprehension-
204 Go to commentsThanks Sam. Interesting read. Harder or easier for Parling to come into a completely new setup where performance was abysmal last time out? I’d suggest easier to be better but, as you suggest, will be a lot to do with how much latitude he’s granted. Hopefully all he needs. With hybrids like Holloway, Hannigan, Swinton and Leota as options at 6 we have the basics for a strong lineout. BPA returning means we have good options at 2 also with Faessler, Porecki and Uelese, although Jordan is a scrumming beast rather than a dart thrower. I’m typically a pessimist or realist but that’s never applied to the Wallabies
1 Go to commentsMad how this somehow contained absolutely zero information.
4 Go to commentsI’m looking forward to attending the Twickenham match, I don’t think it will have a bearing on the outcome of the grand prize itself but it will tell us more about each teams’ preparation and game plan. It’s hard to look past one of the big four (I’m including Canada) lifting the trophy in 2025 but sport is a curious thing, there will still be twists and turns in road ahead.
2 Go to commentsThe better side seems to be the losing side a lot these days. As far as narrative goes. Must be the big emergent culture of “participation awards” that have emerged in nanny states. ”It looked like New Zealand would take the game from there but lapses in execution let South Africa get back into the game. New Zealand’s goal kickers left five points out there, including a very make-able penalty on the stroke of half”. Sounds like a chronic problem… I wonder how the better team has lapses in concentration and execution? Or are those not important factors in the grand scheme of total performances? In 2023, the ABs at least didn’t give up a lead to lose. They just couldn’t execute to get the points and take the lead. This Baby AB result points to a choke - letting the game slip through your fingers. In the words of the great Ricky Bobby’s dad - “If you’re not 1st you’re last!” Loosely translated - if you didn’t win, you’re a loser.
10 Go to commentsWith Stuart Lancaster at the helm, Racing 92 looks more and more a mercenaries club like Toulon some years ago and they are not even performing despite all the money on offer.
4 Go to commentsCouple of things BS missed: wind was behind the Baby Blacks in the first half. Baby Boks got points from a scrum penalty in the final quarter against this ‘dominant pack’, and left three points on the park after a missed penalty.
10 Go to commentsSensible thoughts on this, Brett. Also worth considering we’ve sold 60k tickets for a game between the Rebels and the Lions next year. Got to be roughly $10m in ticket and game day revenue there.
6 Go to commentsUnsuccessful bitter ex Ulster player taking a pop shot at a side that isn't including his consistently poor mates up north
9 Go to commentsHis decision to play in France isn’t a petulant decision as this article suggests. I reckon that France is the perfect place to demonstrate that he can mix it in those battles Rassie references. It’s a good decision to try get into the squad. My personal opinion is that he wins more battles than he loses. I don’t have Rassie’s stats machine behind me, but Daymian’s is so strong moving through traffic and in the rip.
4 Go to commentsWow! Argie forward dominance is something I have not read in years….
1 Go to comments