Siya Kolisi credited his teammates for their support as he prepares to play his 50th Test as Bok captain in the World Cup match against Tonga.
Siya Kolisi credited his teammates for their support as he prepares to play his 50th Test as Springbok captain in the World Cup match against Tonga on Sunday.
“I’ve always been the joker in the team, the naughty one,” Kolisi said. “Coach Fleckie came to my wedding and he heard me speak. After the wedding he said, ‘I think you should lead the team’. “Here at the Springboks, that was tough. It was really difficult at the beginning because I don’t think there’s any greater honour, other than playing for the Springboks, to captain a team like this with its history and everything. Being the first black captain, it was difficult.
“Coach Rassie [Erasmus] understood. He knows me. He’s known me since I was 17 years old, Jacques since I was 18. They know what kind of person I am and they built things around me.