By: Bon Miguela Nhlapo
Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus said the team’s biggest motivation was making South Africans proud after the Boks claimed the inaugural Castle Double Malt Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry title with a 43-28 victory over New Zealand in Baltimore on Saturday.
The Springboks scored six tries to New Zealand’s four to secure a 3-1 series victory in front of a USA rugby record crowd of more than 68,000 at M&T Bank Stadium, with a large contingent of South African supporters among the spectators.
It was awesome to see so many South Africans here; I don’t know how they afford it or how they got here, but it’s great,” said Erasmus.
“We appreciate the people who were here, but we don’t forget the people who were at home; the people on the farm, the boy in the township or the people in the shopping mall. That’s what drives us.
The victory also cemented the Springboks’ position as the world’s number one-ranked team, although Erasmus acknowledged that their success and outspoken approach can sometimes make them unpopular beyond South Africa.
I know we sometimes annoy other people around the world for the way we go about things, or the angle we take on issues, but we really care the most about South African people,” he said.
“We enjoy the other people around the world, and we understand their opinions and love the banter, but there’s only one reason for us as a team and for us as a country, and that’s for South Africa.”
Springbok captain Siya Kolisi echoed those sentiments, saying the team’s appreciation extended to the supporters who travelled to Baltimore as well as those watching from home.
The support is really special for us, that’s who we do it for; the people who can afford to come here and those who are at home,” said Kolisi.
A lengthy stoppage caused by referee audio problems gave the players an opportunity to take in the atmosphere inside the stadium.
Because there was a long stoppage, we were still in the zone, but my goodness, in that moment, you get to appreciate the crowd singing and enjoying the environment, and hopefully we have made it special for them,” said Kolisi.
Despite the emphatic scoreline, Erasmus insisted the match was far from comfortable and that the result should not obscure how closely matched the two traditional rivals remain.
The Springboks led 17-14 at half-time before pulling away in the final quarter. They had already won the previous two Tests to take control of the four-match series.
I wouldn’t say we were the better team [today],” said Erasmus. “At 60 minutes, the game was still in the balance. We appreciate that we won, but the margin between us and New Zealand is very small.”
The rivalry was also marked by a show of mutual respect after the final whistle, with the two teams coming together for a moment of prayer.
Kolisi said the gesture reflected the close relationship between the players despite the intensity of their contests.
We came together to thank each other. We go hard against each other, but we get along off the field,” he said.
“The way the New Zealanders came to our country and embraced our country, and the way they gave themselves to people in our country; we came together to thank them for that.
“It’s tough that one team has to win and one team has to lose, but we know we are going to see each other again.”