Springbok flanker Siya Kolisi celebrated his birthday by scoring his first Test try and picking up the Man of the Match award in the Boks’ 37-15 victory in the second Castle Lager Rugby Test match against France at King’s Park in Durban on Saturday.
Kolisi, who turned 26 on Friday, embodied everything positive for the home team and executed a sublime low pick-up after French flyhalf Trent-Duc’s misdirected an off-load and ran in to score under the posts.
The win secured a series win for the Boks with one match to go.
“It was a great game. We didn’t start off well but we stuck to our guns. We knew that we were going to find it tough with the French team playing eight new players this week,” Kolisi said in the post-match interview.
“It means so much for us to play for this team. We have put last year behind us but we use it as motivation (to do well). Rugby is more than a sport in South Africa – it brings people together,” he added.
French captain Guilhem Guirado said his team came back in the second half and did well but it was not enough in the end.
“We will have to stay focussed for the last game,” Guirado concluded.
Warren Whiteley was once again a proud captain of the Springbok team.
“It was a tough game. We didn’t start too well and they put pressure on us in the first 10 minutes. We managed to turn it around, picked up the intensity and put the pressure back on them,” Whiteley declared.
“The second half was important, especially playing against the wind. Our defensive work showed a lot of character,” the Bok captain said.
“We really appreciate the support here tonight in Durban. We want to make the country proud,” was Whiteley’s final comment. – African News Agency (ANA)
