SPRINGBOK assistant coach Mzwandile Stick was in a mischievous mood at the pre-match press conference he held yesterday with skipper Siya Kolisi.
The man they call “Stokke” was asked whether the unofficial world crown is at stake today at Hollywoodbets Kings Park given that Ireland reckon they are the best team in the world and the Boks beg to differ.
“Whatever happens in this match, at the end of the day we are still the world champions,” the former Blitzbok said. “We want to win the game but we will still be the champions, regardless. We can’t help it if people question us, but 60 million South Africans know who the best side in the world is.”
Stick continued his dig when he said: “Between World Cups, we have different goals to many other teams in that we give other players a chance so that we can build depth. If other teams want to win 18 games in a row (Ireland had won 16 consecutively until they lost to New Zealand in the quarter-finals of the World Cup) that is their choice but I know that for three more years, the best team in the world will be South Africa.”
Kolisi was in an equally defiant mood and it suggests that the Boks are in the right mood to settle the score with the Irish once and for all.
Once more the question of the Bomb Squad came up and Kolisi did not hold back on his opinion: “We don’t care what people say about us and why should we? There is a rule book and we do not break it, we do what works for us. We never comment on the tactics of other teams.
“We do what we need to do to win games and what we do with our bench depends on which team we are playing. We don’t know why there is always talk about us when we don’t comment on the opposition.”
Kolisi added a killer comment: “I honestly believe that they are paying us a compliment by questioning our tactics. But we ignore it. We are on our own journey and we will go full out in this game for South Africa, not to silence critics.”
Kolisi said the Boks feel they owe their country a series sweep because South Africans could not celebrate with the team after the 2019 World Cup win. Covid-19 took care of that.
“After the win in Japan, we did not have an opportunity to deliver for our fans at home, so to have this opportunity to beat Ireland 2-0 in front of our home fans is something we take very seriously. It would be a great thing.”
The Ireland team is much changed after the bruising battle at Loftus Versfeld. They have lost key players to injury in hooker Dan Sheehan, scrumhalf Craig Casey and centre Bundee Aki.
The latter was the Ireland Player of the Year for 2023 and the Man of the Match when Ireland beat the Boks in a pool game at the 2023 World Cup.
Bulldozer Bundee has been replaced by a different type of player in Garry Ringrose, who will partner another veteran in Robbie Henshaw.
Ringrose warned the Boks that his team will go up a notch or two today.
“There is another level in how we can play,” he said. “A credit to South Africa, they were strong on defence and put us under pressure.
“On attack they had good variety, so having faced them once, we need to level up again. The positive is having an opportunity to go again and knowing that we can be better. It’s all any of us would ever want.”
Ringrose will face Springbok centres Damian de Allende and Jesse Kriel, who will break South Africa’s record for most Tests together as a partnership.
“Damian is an unbelievably good ball player, he can pass off both hands and he has kicking ability, and that’s before mentioning his ability to carry.
“Then you have Jesse Kriel, who on defence gets through a crazy amount of work and chases every chance, every scrap, and he’s a cornerstone of their defence.”