Rassie Erasmus lauds Bok superstar who took tough call ‘on the chin’

Rassie Erasmus has praised Springbok captain Siya Kolisi for accepting a difficult halftime substitution “on the chin” during South Africa’s stirring 32–17 win over France in Paris.

The victory — South Africa’s biggest in the French capital since 1997 — came despite Lood de Jager’s red card late in the first half, forcing Erasmus into unplanned reshuffles on what was both his 50th Test as head coach and Kolisi’s 100th cap.

Kolisi was withdrawn at the break to allow Andre Esterhuizen to cover the back row, a decision Erasmus admitted was a brutal one given the context.

“I also want to say thank you to our captain, who was taken off because Andre can play loose forward and centre, which was a tough call,” said Erasmus. “But when I told him, he just took it on the chin and understood.”

Erasmus said the moment typified the selflessness running through the squad, crediting the collective mindset that helped the 14-man Boks storm back with three tries in the final 20 minutes at the Stade de France.

Player Turnovers Lost

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Romain Ntamack

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Kurt-Lee Arendse

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Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu

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“I think the guys who started probably softened up the opposition, and then the bench could go and finish it,” he said. “Even when Manie [Libbok] came on and Sasha [Feinberg-Mngomezulu] went to fullback, I thought everybody had a good impact. That comes from the players understanding that it’s a 23-man effort, and the coaches made good plans, which made it easier for the players who came on from the bench.”

The Bok boss was quick to divert praise to his backroom staff for their influence at halftime.

“I can take very little credit for what was said at halftime because all the coaches of the different departments did most of the talking and made plans,” said Erasmus. “A lot of people said the players are getting older, but they are wiser. We desperately wanted to win this game. Playing here in France is tough, but fortunately, we experienced it in 2022 and 2023, so the experience of the players, and both the team and the assistant coaches made plans.”

Erasmus also paid tribute to South Africans who stayed up late to watch the Test back home.

“It was probably close to midnight at home when the final whistle sounded, so thank you to the people who stayed up and watched the game – we play for them and for South Africa,” he said.

Kolisi, who became just the ninth Springbok to reach 100 caps, described the occasion as emotional but insisted the win was all that mattered.

“A lot of my family were here and people who’ve helped me along the way, and I’m very grateful for that,” said Kolisi. “That said, my focus was on the game because we knew how much they wanted to win this match.

“I must give credit to the team, they really played well, and I’m proud of them and our coaching staff for making plans and not panicking. That’s what makes this team special.

“On a day like today, having to leave the field was a fitting example of putting the team first. When coach Rassie came to ask me, it was a case of putting the emotion aside because the team comes first, and I applaud them for the way they fought.”

Kolisi also returned the praise, marking Erasmus’ own milestone with a heartfelt nod to his influence beyond rugby.

“Today was his 50th game as head coach, and he never made it about him this week. It was all about the team,” he said. “So, thank you, Coach, for all that you do for us. You have no idea what you’ve done, not just in rugby terms, but in the mindset in which we see each other and our country.

“When you speak, we take so much from you, so thank you for all that you do. We really appreciate it.”