By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The Springboks are set to face the Barbarians in their opening match of the international season, while the SA ‘A’ side is scheduled to take on Zimbabwe in the first fixture of a double-header at the stadium.
Speaking at today’s press conference, Boks captain Siya Kolisi was thrilled to be back in the green and gold jersey and said that although many considered matches against the Barbarians as festival games, they would treat the opposition and the match in general as any other international.
It’s our opening game, and we’re all excited,” said Kolisi.
“For us, it’s never a festival game, we see it as a Test match. We’re representing South Africa, and some guys are getting an opportunity, so we want to ensure that everything we’ve worked on during the off-season is put into place.”
“We’re preparing for the season, and a lot of us are playing for positions in the Nations Championship squad.”
Zooming in on the match itself, Kolisi said: “There’s a lot of magic in the backline, and our job as a forward pack is to give them the best platform to express themselves and use their talent.”
“We’ve got a lot of experienced guys in the pack, and many players are hungry for an opportunity in the Springbok jersey as well. That said, the focus will be on our game, and it’s important to be disciplined in what we do.”
His SA ‘A’ counterpart Tshituka, who will have the honour of taking the field alongside his brother Emmanuel, expected Zimbabwe – who qualified for the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia – to put up a brave fight.
“We’ve done our analysis, and there are a lot of guys in their squad who will be highly motivated and will be playing for opportunities and contracts, so one can never underestimate them,” he said.
“We all know what it means to walk onto the field representing your country, and they’ll definitely come out with that motivation, knowing they are going to the Rugby World Cup.”
“There’s a lot on the line for them, and they’ll be fully committed. We also know a couple of the guys in their team, and what they’ll bring, so they’ll be well prepared.”
Kolisi was delighted to take the field in his home province in the Eastern Cape and said: “I’m very excited to be here. It’s been awesome seeing friends and family. It’s always special coming to Gqeberha and seeing the people who came to the airport and to our team photograph, and there’s always a fantastic vibe at the stadium, so we are looking forward to it.”