VIDEO: Boks' Ellis Park victory was 'written in the stars'
VIDEO: Springbok captain Siya Kolisi said Saturday's win against the All Blacks was written in the stars even though the Springboks had to stage a massive comeback after trailing 17-27 after 50 minutes of play.
The Bok captain, speaking at the post-match press conference even though the side of his face was swollen due to what is suspected to be a cheekbone fracture, said it was very tough, but the team wouldn't have it any other way.
And he can commiserate with the visitors, who have now lost two games in the Rugby Championship after losing in their first outing 30-38 to Argentina.
"We knew, the coaches prepared us.
"We’ve been there. They beat us in Auckland and we played in London and you have to get up for that.
"We knew how hard it was going to be.
"Games like this, you just know, they are just written in the stars. We wouldn't take it any other way. We know it was difficult. It is one of the top for us," Kolisi said.
(Article continues below...)
Coach Rassie Erasmus explained just how tough it was after the All Blacks had scored their third try, saying at that stage the Boks just wanted to prevent them from scoring a bonus-point try.
"It was a game where they scored early.
"At that stage, we just wanted to prevent them from getting a bonus point.
"And then the boys got into it," he explained, adding that the Rugby Championship is very important to the Springboks.
"We would love to win it. But we will definitely try a few new guys next week again and hopefully, they make it.
"We are under no illusions that maybe we are well placed now.
"But we won’t get ahead of ourselves.
"We will look at this game, look at why we couldn’t get out of our half at stages, and look at why we couldn’t capitalise the few times we were there," Erasmus said.
[rp-mc-teams-match-summary id="214|941453|2025"][/rp-mc-teams-match-summary]
He mentioned the efforts of fullback Aphele Fassie and flyhalf Sacha Feinberg-Mgomezulu, as well as Pieter-Steph du Toit, who had to switch between three positions at times.
"I think Fassi came through with flying colours and Sacha came through.
"But that does not so say Handre [Pollard] is out of it, or Manie [Libbok] is out of it. We are going to keep building the squad, as long as we are winning.
"We know we could’ve lost this game easily.
"Sacha was even emotional in the change room afterwards," he revealed.
"For Pieter-Steph to play four, five, seven - he said he didn’t know his name anymore.
"Even Ben-Jason was tactical to give Pieter-Steph some rest.
"Everyone wants to know what was said at half-time.
"Absolutely nothing.
"The players pointed out a few things and they made good plans."
[rp-comp-table data="eyJjb21wIjoiMjE0IiwiZ3JvdXBzIjpbXSwic3RhbmRpbmdzIjpbeyJyIjoxLCJ0IjoxNCwiaSI6OTAwLCJwIjozLCJ3IjozLCJsIjowLCJkIjowLCJnIjoiU291dGggQWZyaWNhIn0seyJyIjoyLCJ0Ijo2LCJpIjo4NTAsInAiOjMsInciOjEsImwiOjIsImQiOjAsImciOiJOZXcgWmVhbGFuZCJ9LHsiciI6MywidCI6NSwiaSI6ODAwLCJwIjozLCJ3IjoxLCJsIjoyLCJkIjowLCJnIjoiQXJnZW50aW5hIn0seyJyIjo0LCJ0Ijo0LCJpIjoxMDAsInAiOjMsInciOjEsImwiOjIsImQiOjAsImciOiJBdXN0cmFsaWEifV0sImlzQ29uZmVyZW5jZSI6MH0="][/rp-comp-table]