Kolisi’s men have chance to make history

Will Boks beat Kiwis in back-to-back Tests?

SPRINGBOK captain Siya Kolisi says his team will be massively driven to create some “special history” this evening at Ellis Park by beating the All Blacks in back-to-back Tests for the first time since this group got together under Rassie Erasmus in 2018.

Kolisi’s team had never beaten the All Blacks in South Africa until last week’s victory in Nelspruit and now they can add another chapter to the history books by delivering the knockout blow to a wobbly All Blacks side.

“It would be great to become one of the best Springbok teams, but our focus has to be working hard and playing well to attain that honour,” said Kolisi at the traditional Friday press conference he holds with assistant coach Mzwandile Stick.

“None of the coaches and players have been in this situation before to possibly beat New Zealand in back-to-back Tests at home, so we just want to go out there and give it our all on Saturday and make some special history.”

Backline coach Stick added: “Ellis Park is a big venue for both teams. I certainly will never forget the Rugby World Cup final in 1995 with Nelson Mandela in attendance and Joel Stransky’s drop-goal, I remember running around at home as a youngster calling myself the “Township Stransky”!

Stick also answered the million-dollar question as to why Malcolm Marx will be on the bench today, especially after Bongi Mbonambi pulled out midweek with an injury.

It was a surprise to most that Marx, the Man of the Match in Mbombela, did not continue this week in the first place, and then when Mbonambi got injured in training, the door seemed open for Marx to start, only for the honour to be given to Joseph Dweba.

“We had a massive debate before we made that selection,” Stick said. “Malcolm had a great game last week in his 50th Test and was the best player on the park.

“We know what he has done for us in the past as a key part of the bomb squad and particularly as a front row combination off the bench with Steven Kitshoff and Vincent Koch. They have done it

many times together and with great impact.

“Then we have Ox Nche getting a chance at loosehead prop and we bore in mind that Ox and Joseph have been playing together since the age of 19, since school, and at the Cheetahs,” Stick explained. “So as a coaching staff it made sense to go for combinations both in the starting front row and in the bomb squad.”

Stick then turned his attention to the main sideshow this week — the verbals coming from the New Zealand camp about the Boks’ alleged dangerous approach to the aerial game that served them so well in Mbombela.

“We used to be accused of being boring!” Stick smiled before getting serious. “All of a sudden our aerial game is a problem despite us having played the same way since we first got together (2018). We do not hide how we play the kicking game, it is part of our DNA.

“Kurt-lee has been really good in his contesting and I thought Makazole Mapimpi was excellent in that regard, too, and then it was very unfortunate that Kurt-lee got his timing wrong at the end of the game in the collision with Beauden Barrett.

“Obviously it was not intentional, it is not how we coach and we aim to follow the letter of the law. It was just unfortunate and Kurt-lee made a point of apologising to Beauden.

“We play in the spirit of the game, we have great respect for the All Blacks, but we won’t change anything.”

Springboks starting XV:

15 Damian Willemse, 14 Jesse Kriel, 13 Lukhanyo Am, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Makazole Mapimpi, 10 Handre Pollard, 9 Jaden Hendrikse, 8 Duane Vermeulen, 7 Pieter-steph du Toit, 6 Siya Kolisi (capt), 5 Lood de Jager, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Joseph Dweba, 1 Ox Nche. Replacements: 16 Malcolm Marx, 17 Steven Kitshoff, 18 Vincent Koch, 19 Jasper Wiese, 20 Franco Mostert, 21 Kwagga Smith 22, Herschel Jantjies, 23 Willie le Roux.

All Blacks starting XV:

15 Jordie Barrett, 14 Will Jordan, 13 Rieko Ioane, 12 David Havili, 11 Caleb Clarke, 10 Richie Mo’unga, 9 Aaron Smith, 8 Ardie Savea, 7 Sam Cane (capt), 6 Shannon Frizzell, 5 Scott Barrett, 4 Sam Whitlock, 3 Tyrel Lomax, 2 Samisoni Taukei’aho, 1 Ethan de Groot. Replacements: 16 Codie Taylor, 17 George Bower, 18 Fletcher Newell, 19 Tupou Vaa’i, 20 Akira Ioane, 21 Finlay Christie, 22 Beauden Barrett, 23 Quinn Tupaea.