Springbok Captain Siya Kolisi and Assistant Coach Mzwandile Stick said that the Boks were in control of their system and no motivation was needed to play against the All Blacks.

“Rugby is so important as a team, as players, as systems, we know what everyone at home is expecting from us, “said Kolisi.

“History is definitely something you can use as motivation. You think about it and we take confidence into it, “he said.

Kolisi mentions that the team knows how important rugby is to the country so the game is extremely important. “It certainly motivates us that rugby is so significant to the people of our country so we will give it our best and hopefully we can give South Africa something to celebrate, “he added.

When asked about the technical aspect of the driving maul which the Springboks failed at the previous week, Kolisi mentions that the set pieces were something that needed to be fixed. He also mentions that the team looked at the issues where they went wrong at the breakdown.

“The last two games, I think we kind of messed up ourselves, things that we normally get right, we didn’t get right. So, our focus this week has been to make sure that we get on top of things that we are normally good at and not deviate from what the plan is, “said Kolisi.

“We do think about it, past successes after defeats and that is also something I said to the guys. It’s something we have done before. We aren’t being asked to do something different that we’ve never done before, “he said.

Stick mentions that the team prides themselves on set pieces and defense. “They’ve selected three fullbacks at the back and Jordie Barrett likes height and can be a tough customer, but Willie (Le Roux), Sbu (Nkosi) and Makazole (Mapimpi) have been there before, “said Stick.

He ends by saying that the team who executes their game plan most effectively, will give themselves the best chance to win this game.

Story by Fatima Said

Photo courtesy SA Rugby