Siya Kolisi on the 2018 Bok game against England that 'changed my life'

As Siya Kolisi prepares to lead the Springboks for the 72nd time in the Nations Championship opener against England in Johannesburg, he has revealed the vital lessons he learnt while inspiring his team to a remarkable comeback victory in his first game as captain against the same opponents in 2018.

The Springboks were 24-3 down at one point but stunned England with a fight back that earned a 42-39 victory. “That 2018 match was a huge learning opportunity for me, and it obviously changed my life. I remember it was very tough and emotional,” Kolisi told local media ahead of the Ellis Park clash on July 4.” I think the emotions got the better of me. I struggled a bit, but the team did well, and I had so many great leaders around me.”

“That was where I actually learned how to use the people around me. I remember England went 21 points up, and everybody looked at me under the posts. I said: ‘I have no answers.’ Then I looked at the guy next to me and asked: ‘Do you have something to say?’”

Head coach Rassie Erasmus had appointed Kolisi, now 35, as the first black captain of the Springboks in their 127-year history in that match and it appeared the plan was going badly wrong. Kolisi revealed: “We were learning a new defensive system, and a lot was going on.

“Jacques (Nienaber) was standing under the posts, screaming at us not to stop doing what we were doing. Rassie has known me since I was 18-years old. He knew I would struggle at the beginning, and he put systems in place that allowed me to focus on what I needed to do. Now I’m able to share that with the other guys when they’re in the leadership group as well.

Fixture

Nations Championship

South Africa

45 - 21

Full-time

England

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Kolisi is excited about the young talent that has been added to the Bok squad ahead of the England game that will be played at altitude. “Complacency can creep in when there’s nobody there to take your place. That’s not the case with us.

“There are so many guys on the same level. We are competing, but at the same time, we are helping each other because the team comes first. When we trained with the Under-20 group, the intensity was really high because they are fearless and they don’t know what the limit is. What we’re seeing from them … Coach Rassie can call on them at any time now if something happens to any of us, and that’s a good thing.”