Springboks captain Siya Kolisi believes the hotly contested Rugby League is “brilliant for rugby” after his side secured a positive 24-8 victory over the Wallabies on Saturday.
The South Africans showed better attacking intent and then created more chances against Australia in Sydney than they had a week before.
Title to win
In New Zealand, the All Blacks secured a dominating 53-3 victory over Argentina, meaning only one point separates the top and bottom of the table. Rugby Championship after the fourth round, with all teams having won two and lost two.
Kolisi says his team, like all the others, strives for consistency, but the Southern Hemisphere’s flagship competition has been exceptionally open in 2022.
“The thing is, everyone wants consistency. We want to stay near the top all the time, but it’s difficult,” said Kolisi.
“Some teams perform a week and some teams don’t perform. That’s what I think all nations are looking for, that consistency every week.
“You can see now what’s happening, every team is getting up and I think that’s great for rugby because you never know which team is going to win that day.”
The Boks skipper claimed his side seizing their opportunities was the critical difference between this week and last week against the Wallabies.
“Last week there was nothing different in our performance or our game plan, we took the opportunities we created today and that’s what we want to do every time,” said Kolisi.
“It will make our job so much easier, not having to fight all the time.
“The fact that we were able to create those chances is encouraging, and the fact that we were able to finish today was really good for us as a team, and it’s a good reminder that we can do that at the coming.
“We just have to keep doing them, that’s all we want. Just be consistent and seize opportunities when we create them.
Fans cornered by the team
The 31-year-old thanked Springbok fans for staying behind the team after a tough loss in Adelaide and were delighted to bounce back with a victory – their first in Australia for nine years.
“I would like to thank the people back home for supporting us,” Kolisi said.
“It’s been a tough week for us as a team, and we understand our fans were hurting too, so I’d like to thank them for sticking with us.
“We are grateful to the supporters at home and in Australia. We really wanted to stay in the hunt for the Rugby Championship, and it’s been nine long years since we’ve won here.
“The coaching staff had a plan and a certain game plan that they wanted us to play because they wanted us to win. But the biggest change was the belief that we could do it.
The world champions are now turning their attention to two Tests against Argentina, and the captain is under no illusions about the challenge ahead.
“They are going to be tough so we know we have two tough games ahead. We are going to enjoy tonight and then focus on those matchups of the week,” he said.
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