Siya Kolisi has issued a candid message ahead of Saturday’s third Test against the All Blacks (kick-off 5pm): the Springboks are going for the series win — nothing less, and they will attack to win.
With Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry locked at 1–1, the Springbok captain says there will be no playing it safe at Soccer City as the world champions look to take control of the series and keep the Freedom Cup in South African hands.
“We want to win the series; we're not playing to draw it,” Kolisi said on Friday. “We're going to Soweto to try to win the game.”
The Boks have treated the series like a World Cup knockout campaign from the outset, according to Kolisi. After losing the opening Test at Ellis Park, they fought back to level the series in Cape Town last weekend.
Now they want to finish the job in South Africa before travelling to the US to wrap up the series.
“We lost the first one, and we had to dig our way back and fight in the second one, and we won that,” Kolisi said.
“So, we're not taking it lightly in any way. We know how important the game is, because our ultimate goal is to win the series, not to draw it. And I'm sure they have the same mindset too.”
Victory would put the Boks in the driving seat heading into the fourth Test in Baltimore, while defeat would leave them needing a win in the United States merely to avoid a series loss.
For Kolisi, however, Saturday offers more than just a chance to put the Boks ahead. He is also on the brink of making Springbok history, with victory giving him a record 55th Test win as captain — one more than John Smit.
Yet the skipper was quick to brush aside the personal milestone.
“As for the wins record, that's a team achievement, not mine personally,” he said. “As long as we win, I'm happy, because it shows we're building and moving forward as a group.”
Kolisi, Pieter-Steph du Toit and Jasper Wiese will also become the most-capped Springbok loose trio in history.
“We've all got different roles, and we're used to playing alongside one another,” Kolisi said. “You can see the way Jasper carries the ball through contact, the work Pietie puts in, and mine is more the stuff nobody really notices, which I actually enjoy.”
The Boks know they will have to be better defensively if they are to get the job done.
The All Blacks have scored nine tries to South Africa’s four across the opening two Tests, but assistant coach Mzwandile Stick says the Boks must also acknowledge that New Zealand have produced some outstanding attacking rugby.
“Listen, we don't want to concede any tries, but let's give compliments to them,” Stick said. “The way they are playing, you can see they are a team who has confidence, and their players are back at their best.”
Stick believes the All Blacks are growing in confidence under their new coaching set-up.
“With the personnel in their coaching staff, you can see they're starting to believe as a group,” he said. “Some of the tries they scored are well-earned tries, execution-wise, but we also take pride in how we defend.”
Rather than panic about the points conceded, Stick pointed to the fine margins that have shaped the first two Tests.
“I wouldn't say that I see a problem in our system, but we must give credit when they do well,” he said. “It's not like we're not going to concede any points.”
Rain is forecast for kick-off, but Kolisi insists the conditions will not alter the Boks’ approach.
“It won't affect our game plan at all,” he said. “The way we play is built for any weather. Not one of our moves will change.”