The Springboks are treading lightly for Wales' “Player 24” in the Principality Stadium tonight.
As they gear up for their impending clash, Bok captain Siya Kolisi reflects on the challenges ahead - navigating a hurt, but formidable Welsh side while rising to the occasion in front of their unwavering home crowd at the iconic Cardiff stadium (7:40 pm start).
Siya Kolisi: ‘I definitely feel for them (🏴).
— Alex Bywater (@_AlexBywater) November 22, 2024
‘I know they’ll get out of it. I’m not too stressed for them. If anyone can get them out of it, it’s coach Gatland.’#WALvRSA 🏴🇿🇦 pic.twitter.com/88MJirKNv1
The match follows a disheartening recent performance from the Red Dragons, which was highlighted last week with a disappointing 20-52 loss to Australia.
Yet, Kolisi remains pragmatic, emphasising the potent capabilities of the Welsh forwards, who clinched impressive scrum penalties against the Wallabies, despite losing heavily.
“We know what their score was last week. But, their forwards in particular, they won over five scrum penalties, and they have a pack that can stand up against any team,” said Kolisi.
“We want to ensure we get a better performance from the group.”
“That is already a great foundation for the team. Our focus, though, is solely on us and what we have to do as a team. We want to ensure we get a better performance from the group.
“Yes, we won the last two games (against Scotland and England), but we did not achieve what we set out to do. Winning is the most important, but it's the team performance we are looking for to close out the year properly. So that we can see what worked (in the season) and what didn’t.”
This reflection speaks volumes about the team’s commitment to growth, especially after a challenging period where the results did not match their expectations.
Kolisi added that playing Wales in Cardiff is a different story, even if they've faced them many times before.
“It is hard to beat them here and a lot of us have lost a couple of times.”
"It is hard to beat them here and a lot of us have lost a couple of times. They will play for 80 minutes and that is what we expect."
The electrifying atmosphere generated by supporters at the packed Principality Stadium often proves to be a significant advantage for the home side and Kolisi acknowledged this.
“There’s always a great atmosphere at the Principality Stadium and their fans really get behind them and stand by them, and we have no doubt it will be the same.”