Kolisi Claims This Tour Has Given Springboks The Most Growth
Captain Siya Kolisi was in an upbeat and jovial mood as the Springboks wrapped up preparations for their final international fixture of 2025 – an end-of-year clash against Wales at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff.
Similar to last year – where the Rugby World Cup champions were victorious 45-12 – they will conclude their tour to Europe with a game against the Welsh.
Much like their Autumn Nations Series tour in 2024, the Springboks are aiming to secure a second successive unbeaten tour. Last year, in addition to the win over Wales, victories came against Scotland by 32-15 at Murrayfield in Edinburgh and against England by 29-20 at Twickenham in London.
Reflecting on a long and demanding international season – one marked by suspensions before the tour had even begun, on-field red cards, and a series of unexpected challenges – Kolisi was quite candid about where this tour ranks among those he has experienced both as captain and as a Springbok player.
“We’ve had our most growth on this tour,” he said. “With all the challenges and the planning we’ve had to do, everyone – players and coaches – have stepped up.”
The Springboks have had to endure consecutive games where they were reduced to 14 men as a result of permanent red cards.
The first occurrence was against France, when Lood de Jager was sent off for a tackle on French fullback Thomas Ramos just before half-time. The second occurrence, just a week later, happened against Italy when Franco Mostert was sent off in the 12th minute for a tackle on Italian fly-half Paolo Garbisi.
“At halftime, when we’ve had red cards, we’ve had to make quick decisions – which guy to swap, who to take off. The coaches have led us as a group to use our voice, and also we’ve learnt about how they think.”
Despite the disadvantages of having to play with a man short for the majority of both games, the four-time Rugby World Cup champions found renewed strength and vigour in their collective effort to assess the situation and adjust accordingly.
“Every time we have an alignment camp, they try to get into our heads, and we try to get into theirs. It’s been good. The way we’ve adjusted, listened, and adapted has been a big thing for us as a group. We didn’t make excuses; we just played whatever situation we were in. We’ve shown we can adapt, no matter what comes our way,” he explained. “Obviously, we want to play with 15 men.”
It’s thanks to that elite, warrior-like mentality and the ability to adjust and adapt, coupled with tactical tweaks that resulted in them securing positive results – beating France 32-17 and Italy 32-14.
The build-up to the game in Cardiff took on a different twist with both camps losing a large number of players to their respective clubs as this fixture falls outside World Rugby’s international window. Kolisi, though, stuck to the theme of the tour, choosing to get on with it and adjust where possible.
“This week, things are different, but it’s the same for Wales, so we’re not going to complain. We’ll make the adjustment and go out and play this weekend,” said Kolisi, who became the ninth player to play 100 times for the Boks.
The Springboks’ final fixture of 2025 kicks off at 17:10 South African time.
