Springbok captain Siya Kolisi and assistant coach Mzwandile Stick sounded a strong warning to their charges after wrapping up their on-field preparations for Saturday’s match-up at Estadio José Amalfitani that they would be in for a massive battle against Los Pumas in front of a passionate home crowd in Buenos Aires on Saturday.
The match – which will mark Kolisi’s first test of the year, along with Eben Etzebeth, Lood de Jager (both locks), Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (flyhalf), and Morne van den Berg (replacement scrumhalf) – kicks off at 21h10 (SA time) and will be broadcast live on SuperSport.
Kolisi was thrilled to be back in the green and gold jersey and lining up against quality international opposition.
“I'm very excited – it’s been tough watching from the sideline, but there's a couple of us getting an opportunity now,” said Kolisi.
“It's been so good to see the depth in this team, with guys who have taken over and carried on the momentum. So, I'm really excited to get the chance to play again this weekend. It's a tough place to come and play, but that's exactly what we need as a group.
“It's hard to train and not play, or not be involved, so we all just want to add value to the team and play our part. Getting our jerseys this morning was very special.”
'PASSIONATE PEOPLE'
Stick was equally excited about the return of the injured players and the Bok team selected for the match: “There's a lot of excitement in our squad, especially among the guys who are getting an opportunity, and if you look at the players coming back from injury, those are guys who have worked very hard with the squad back in Johannesburg through all the camps we've had. They've waited for their chance, and now they've got it.
“We are pleased that our preparations have gone well, but playing Argentina away from home is always tough. They are very passionate people, much like us, so it's going to be a tough game, but hopefully we can give our people back at home a good result.”
Commenting on the challenge of facing the Pumas on their home patch, Kolisi said they are expecting their hosts to put up a massive fight.
“Their last two games have been very close, and they could have gone either way, so it's never easy coming here,” he said.
“We did as much preparation as we could back home last week, and this week here with the smaller group, and we know how tough they're going to be.
“There are some good new players getting an opportunity in their team too, and we know what that feels like, having experienced the same thing in our own squad over the past three games.
“The crowd plays a big role as well. The people here are very passionate. It’s very similar to South Africa. That's why it's always great coming here, but we know how tough this battle is going to be.”
Stick shared Kolisi’s sentiments about the opposition and said: “The thing about Argentina at home is that if you don't turn up physically and mentally, you'll bring their crowd into the game. But if you turn up with the right intent, you'll have a better chance of controlling the game.
“We've played against them many times, and we've had our bad and our good days, but as a team, we fully understand what needs to be done to execute against them away from home. The stands will be vibrating, and it's going to be a good show, especially for our people back home.”