I still have a good body and lungs to fight for the Springboks, says Siya Kolisi

Springbok captain Siya Kolisi is expecting a “desperate” Wallabies team to fight to the last second of Saturday’s Rugby Championship opener at Ellis Park. But the Springboks are equally fired up to perform after what Kolisi describes as indifferent form in their last four matches.

“We have a big game on Saturday. We know what Australia wants to do to us. We have been in their position before,” Kolisi said. “We would be foolish if we did not understand how desperate they are, how much they want to beat us.”

By the same token, the captain stressed that the Boks are disappointed that they haven’t fired on all cylinders this year.

“We look at our last four games, and we are disappointed,” he said. “We were supposed to have an extra week of holiday, but we felt that we had not hit the standards that we set, and so we trained instead.

“We know we have played far better than what we have so far delivered. The big thing for us is that we haven’t been physical enough.

“At the Springboks, everything else can go wrong as long as our physicality is at the level we set for ourselves.”

The Australians might read these words with dread. And another warning fired off by Kolisi is his team’s goal of ruling the world not just at World Cups but in between. That is something that has eluded previous Springbok teams.

“It is very important to us to do well between Cups,” Kolisi said. “That is why you see so many players getting opportunities because, unfortunately, injuries occur. We need our greater group to be the best it can be.

“Our mindset is to win every single game but also to build squad depth because the two go hand in hand.

“To that end, our training sessions have been much tougher this year. I would say they have been brutal, especially the forward sessions.

“We want to be the best in the world all the time. It has never been our goal just to focus on World Cups, because anything can happen in a World Cup. Also, being No. 1 in the world makes a difference when it comes to the World Cup pools.”

On Saturday, Kolisi leads the Boks for the 63rd time as captain, but he says he is not about breaking records.

“It is not about the leading part, for me. It is about the opportunity to put on the jersey, to be part of this group.

“It is hard to explain. Put it this way: when a guy is injured or not selected, all he wants is to be back here. It is not just about the rugby; it is the family environment. People have your back at all times.

“When you bleed and sweat with someone, when you train your hardest with the guys, you form a bond. Then, when you represent 60 million South Africans, it adds to the privilege. Rugby has always been that for me. It has helped me in so many ways since I was young.

“The most important thing for me is to go out at Ellis Park and be the best that I have ever been in the Springbok jersey.

“While I still have a good body and lungs, I will give my all for this team. I am still feeling good and will keep on fighting for the jersey.”