Bafana can do the business against Koreans, says Siya

Though they are hanging on by their fingernails to survive, Bafana Bafana have got what it takes beat South Korea in a make-or-break World Cup showdown in Mexico on Thursday, Springbok rugby captain Siya Kolisi says.

South Africa’s World Cup winning rugby captain analysed Bafana’s precarious position after he led the Boks to a barn-storming 80-31 win over the Barbarians at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Gqeberha on Saturday.

Kolisi is an ardent Bafana fan and visited their camp to meet the players ahead of a World Cup warm-up match against Panama in Durban in March.

Bafana’s World Cup hopes are on a knife’s edge and they need to beat the Koreans in Monterrey to advance to the next round of the tournament.

“It was a tough first loss for Bafana against Mexico, but they answered well with a draw against Czechia in their second game,” Kolisi said.

“With the amount of attacking Bafana did they could just not get an opportunity and then they got the penalty against Czechia.

“I really believe Bafana have it in them to beat South Korea.

“The Springboks also don’t always get it right.

“In our first game at the World Cup in 2019 we lost to New Zealand.”

In that World Cup pool clash the All Blacks defeated the Boks 23-13 in their opening pool match at the International Stadium in Yokohama, Japan.

Undeterred by this early setback, Kolisi’s team went on to win the World Cup.

We just need to get behind Bafana because I know for a fact captain Ronwen Williams and his team are giving their best at all times

—  Springbok captain Siya Kolisi

“We just need to get behind Bafana because I know for a fact captain Ronwen Williams and his team are giving their best at all times,” Kolisi said.

“So let us just be as positive as we can and get behind them.

“I can’t say too much about soccer, but coach Rassie Erasmus always tells us the opposition can’t outwork you in the intensity of the game and that is really important.

“I’m sure Bafana know that.

“As South Africans you never give up and it must always be a fight.

“That is all I can say and obviously I can’t say anything technical.”

Kolisi said South Africa’s runaway 80-31 win over the Barbarians in Gqeberha on Saturday had helped the Boks to build depth in their squad ahead of a busy season.

“The way we started, our kicking game and winning the scraps, I think we did that well,” he said.

“Then we started not making first-time tackles and letting them get their offloads away, which really got them in the game.

“Then they got the ball away and got the upper hand a bit in the first half.

“I’m so happy for the players who got their first taste of senior Springbok rugby (Riley Norton, Paul de Villiers, Vusi Moyo, Carlu Sadie and JJ Kotze).

“It’s really special and we’ll be needing every single person this season.

“Even the guys in the SA A team (who beat Zimbabwe 40-0), the way they played was really special.

“The most important thing is building squad depth and the competition among each other to make sure that we keep going forward, and whoever falls, the next guy comes in.”

Erasmus has named six uncapped players in a 46-man squad for South Africa’s opening Nations Championship clash against England at Ellis Park in Johannesburg on July 4.

• Follow The Herald WhatsApp channel today and stay connected to the stories shaping our world.

The Herald