Siya Kolisi has emphasised the need for the Springboks to be consistent in their performances after ending a nine-year wait to beat the Wallabies in Australia. DYLAN JACK reports.
The Springboks bounced back from successive defeats to claim a 24-8 victory over the Wallabies in Sydney, their first win away to Australia since 2013.
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The win had shades of when the Springboks ended a nine-year drought to beat the All Blacks in Wellington in the 2018 Rugby Championship, which proved to be a massive turning point under then head coach Rassie Erasmus.
“That was a game the coaches were targeting for us to win because our confidence was low,” said Kolisi, reflecting on the 2018 result. “Coach Rassie said that was the game that was going to change our belief and it did.
“The thing is that everybody wants consistency. We want to be at the top, but it’s hard. Some teams perform one week and then don’t perform. That consistency is what every nation is looking for, but you can see what’s happening, that every nation is standing up.
“It’s better for rugby, because you never know which team is going to win on the day.”
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Kolisi said that while the Springboks are happy with how they capitalised on their opportunities in Sydney, compared to their wastefulness a week earlier in Adelaide, the key now is to reproduce that in the coming fixtures against Argentina.
“The ultimate thing that we are looking for as a team is to make sure that we are consistent,” said Kolisi. “That’s why we work so hard and do so much detail. There was nothing different in our performance today, it’s just that we took our opportunities. That’s what we want to do every time. It will make our job so much easier, not having to fight back every time.
“The fact that we are creating those opportunities is encouraging. The fact that we could finish today was good for us as a team. It’s a good reminder that we can do it. We must just be consistent in taking those opportunities.
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“This game was very important for us, because we want to stay in the fight for the Championship,” added Kolisi. “It has been nine long years since we last won here. We will enjoy it, but we know what task is coming in Argentina. It will be tough and we will need our supporters again.”
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Photo: Matt King/Getty Images
