Springbok skipper Siya Kolisi said that rugby does not come any bigger than a World Cup final against old rivals New Zealand.
The two teams clash at the Stade de France on Saturday to renew a rivalry unparalleled in the world of rugby union.
Kolisi said he had watched the 2007 final in France, when South Africa again beat England, and had been inspired as John Smit lifted the trophy.“It’s only because South Africa were playing that they just sit and watch the game,” said Kolisi, who was the first black player to wear the captain’s armband for the Boks in a Test.
That victory became a unifying, jubilant moment in a country still torn by deep societal divides and struggling with high poverty and unemployment. “There were over 80 kicks in that game. And they played with a leather ball. There wasn’t any lifting in the line-outs so there were a lot of differences back then.
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