What Siya Kolisi thought as Handre Pollard lined up match-winning kick
With a Rugby World Cup semi-final hanging in the balance, playmaker Handre Pollard propped the ball up on a goal-kicking tee ahead of a decisive shot at the posts. While it’s a cliché, it’s also true that in that moment time stood still.
The hopes of South African and English rugby fans rested on this kick. Pollard looked calm, composed and willing as the fly-half stepped towards the ball and gracefully kicked through it.
With a tactical hook from right to left, Pollard guided the ball through the goalposts for three crucial go-ahead points. The Springboks took the lead for the first time with just over two minutes to play.
South Africa held on for a tense 16-15 win at Stade de France as they booked their ticket to their second consecutive Rugby World Cup final.
It was a team effort as the Boks secured a tough win, but plaudits, praise and thanks must go to one man in particular. Handre Pollard was the hero and even received Player of the Match honours.
With emotions still riding high not long after the end of the thrilling semi-final showdown, captain Siya Kolisi insisted he “had no doubt” that Pollard would convert the penalty.
“I had no doubt at all. He has done it for us before,” Kolisi said.
“We are grateful for the bench but actually for the whole squad. In this team we remind each other that if we are successful we will say that South Africa won, not the 23 that played. The guys who don’t start, they know when they come on there will be opportunities and we all have different roles and we respect that.
“For us to get that scrum, for Ox [Nche] and Vincent [Koch] and Bongi [Mbonambi], who has been amazing. The medical staff have been amazing, the coaching staff have already prepared for the next game. When Pollie took that kick, it was just relief. Also, it gives us a lot of courage.”
The Springboks have earned the right to defend their Rugby World Cup title in France. South Africa will take on fierce rivals New Zealand for another shot at rugby immortality.
Whoever wins will become the first nation to win the sport’s ultimate prize for a record fourth time. History beckons for whoever is good enough to grab the opportunity with both hands next weekend.
“It’s honestly all the hard work we have put in came off,” Kolisi added.
“It was really ugly today but that is what champions are made of. Credit to England, they have worked hard. They were written off before the World Cup. Coach Steve [Borthwick] and Owen [Farrell] and the team pulled themselves together and showed who they are.
“They are not a team you take lightly, all credit to them for being in the semi-final today. To my team as well it was ugly today like it was last week but we found a way to fight back and get back into the game.
“Well done to the boys. I am really proud of the fight that was showed, especially the guys who came off the bench once again.”
Comments on RugbyPass
The URC and the Euro Championscup can’t run at the same time, basically dilutes both competitions.
1 Go to comments“While Sotutu should start at No.8 for the All Blacks against England, but it’s only in that arena that he can prove just how good he really is.” And that my friends is where simply hasnt shone despite multiple opportunities. Even in this performance you can see what did him in in the test arena..he almost always still runs at the opposition almost ramrod upright making him easier to stop than it should be.
2 Go to commentsShould have been 0-0 and a message from SR CEO to both teams - “don’t worry about turning up next year”.
3 Go to commentsGreat work Owen Franks. A great of this team, scoring his first try for the Crusaders since 2010.He was beaming, justifiably. A fine win, he and the rest did the job up front.
1 Go to commentsDanny Care. Lang in die tand.
1 Go to commentsBig empty stadium does nothing for atmosphere but munster are playing well with solid performance
1 Go to commentsYes, Fiji can win the World Cup! With that belief plus their christian faith🙏 and hard work it is achievable. Great article. Ian Duncan Fiji resident 1981-84
2 Go to commentsInteresting comments about Touch. England’s hosting the Touch World Cup this year and the numbers have exploded since their last World Cup in 2019, something like 70% more teams and 40 nations taking part. And England Touch have made a big thing about how many universities are in their BUCS University Touch Championship as well as Sport England membership. Can only see this growing even more domestically as more people become aware of it
10 Go to comments“Cortez Ratima is light years ahead of anyone on current form, while TJ Perenara has also skyrocketed into contention following the unfortunate injury to the talented Cam Roigard.” At last some sanity. Hitherto so many pundits have been wittering on about Finlay Christie to the point one wondered if they were observing a FC in a parallel universe where the FC they saw wasnt just the mediocre Shayne Philpott project of Fosters hapless AB reign in the real world. Ratima, Perenara and Fakatava are the ONLY logical 9s for Razor now Roigard is crocked.
3 Go to commentsThis game was just as painful as the Hurricanes game. It was real fork-in-the-eye stuff.
3 Go to commentsNow if they could just fire the Crusaders ground PA guy who likes to play his dance music and just loves the sound of his own voice the entire game, even when play is going on. And I thought their brass band thing of a few years ago was bad.
5 Go to commentsUnfortunately when you lose by far the two form players this season in Roigard and Aumua, you're left replacing two game changing Tanks with a couple of pea-shooters. Which is also about the speed of TJs pass.
4 Go to commentsBit rich coming from the guy with zero loyalty to anyone or any team, including happily taking a players place in a league world cup squad because well, SBW wanted to play in it and thus an already named player got told he was no longer going. And airing stuff like this, which may or may not be true, doesn't exactly say you're a stand up guy either SBW. Just looking to keep his name in lights as usual.
38 Go to commentsTamati Tua. …the Taniwha NPC midfielder. Ollie Sapsford, Hawkes Bay NPC midfielder…doing well
4 Go to commentsFiji deserve to be in the rugby championship, fans love seeing the Fijian national team play, the Fijian Drua is a wonderful idea but the players can still be stolen to play for NZ and AUS…
2 Go to commentsThe first concern for this afternoon are wheather forecast…
1 Go to commentsWhy cant I watch Rugby games please?
1 Go to commentsBeautiful shot from Finau, end of story. Gutted for Shaun Stevenson though.
4 Go to commentsThe Chiefs definitely didn’t win ugly. They had the superior scrum, a dominant lineout, and their defence was excellent once the Waratahs scored their two tries (thanks to some lucky refereeing calls mind you). They put pressure on the Waratahs lineout throughout the game, and the mind boggles as to why the referee did not award a yellow card or a penalty try against the Waratahs for repeated scrum infringements on their own try line before Narawa’s first try. And the Chiefs were slick with their passing and running angles on attack. It was a dominant performance all round, even with many questionable refereeing decisions.
1 Go to commentsWasnt late. Ref 2 assistants andTMO all saw it so who are you to say it was?
4 Go to comments