As the Springboks gear up to face England in the Nations Championship at Ellis Park, Captain Siya Kolisi is particularly excited about his matchup with England's flanker Tom Curry. Both players, who have a history of intense competition, will start on the openside for their respective teams this Saturday. Kolisi holds Curry in high esteem, noting, “He’s one of the toughest guys I’ve ever played against. I remember since 2018, and then in the 2019 World Cup Final too. He is a special human being, and I love playing against him. Tomorrow’s going to be no different.”
When probed about a past incident involving Curry and Boks hooker Bongi Mbonambi from the 2023 World Cup semi-final, Kolisi seemed momentarily out of the loop. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he responded, before recalling, “Many things have gone by and it’s a new game. For us, if you’re going to be thinking about that then your mind wouldn’t be on the game you know.”
"We listen to our coaches, and we know what it feels like to be beaten,"
Despite the home ground advantage and a favorable world ranking, Kolisi dismissed any notions of the Springboks being the outright favorites. He emphasized the importance of preparation and respect for the opponent, stating, “We never walk into any match feeling like we’re definitely going to win. If we did, we wouldn’t have prepared the way we prepared this week.”
Regarding the English team, despite their disappointing performance in the 2026 Six Nations, Kolisi warned against underestimating them. “We’ve analysed them, and results-wise, I don’t think we can take too much from their Six Nations campaign because if you look at their last game against France, they almost won it in the final seconds, and France is one of the best teams in the world,” he explained. He further highlighted the intensity England brings to the field, “They are going to be psyched up for this match and will pitch up physically. They almost took us out of the (2023) World Cup in the semi-final, and something we learned from that game is that if you don’t execute your plan very well against England, they have the potential to punish you.”
Kolisi also touched on the constant pressure of international rugby, “There’s always pressure. You’d be silly to feel comfortable. But I think that’s what keeps us going.” The anticipation for the upcoming game at Ellis Park is high, with both teams ready to bring their best to what promises to be a thrilling encounter.