The Springboks are on the cusp of winning back-to-back Rugby Championship titles and assistant coach Mzwandile Stick and captain Siya Kolisi want to do it with a solid performance.
The Boks take on Argentina in the final Rugby Championship clash in Twickenham on Saturday and Stick and Kolisi said on the eve of the Test match their focus is on the quality of their performance.
The Springboks go into the final round with a one-point lead over second-placed New Zealand in the standings and they will know the permutations by the time they take on the Pumas.
“Breaking records is nice and so is winning competitions, but the quality of our performance will be the most important aspect for us because we also have a tough end-of-the-year tour coming up,” said Stick.
“So, our main focus is on the match against Argentina and ensuring that we deliver an 80-minute performance. Last week’s result (the Boks 67-30 victory against the Pumas) is in the past, and we certainly learnt a few things from that match after leading by only two points at halftime.
“Last week we scored, and then they would score, and we conceded penalties that kept them in the game. And if one looks carefully at Argentina, they beat New Zealand and Australia, so if we don’t learn from that and the errors we made last week, we’d be silly.
The quality of their performance will be the most important aspect for the #Springboks in London tomorrow 👍#ForeverGreenForeverGold
— Springboks (@Springboks) October 3, 2025
“They are a good side, they’ll be desperate, and they are a passionate rugby nation. They’ve also selected a team with world-class players, and some senior players surrounding the younger guys, so it will be important to lay a strong foundation up-front and for the backs to deliver a skillful performance.”
Kolisi agreed with Stick’s sentiments.
“Last week was tough, and we were only able to break through after 60 minutes, so though we cannot control the result, the magnitude of this match makes it huge and we are looking forward to it.
“There are a few guys in our team that haven’t won the Castle Lager Rugby Championship before, and we want to honour them and make it a special game for them.
“But setting records is not our focus. It’s all about our performance and trying our best to do the job tomorrow.”
Stick added it is going to be a long day in the office.
“We went through their side and a lot of their players have a Sevens rugby background, so if we are not at our best, it will be a long day on the park.
“I have no doubt it’s going to be a grind, and much like some of our younger players in the last few months, their newer players will also look to grab their opportunity to play and make their presence felt.
“They are going to pitch up mentally and emotionally, and they also have supporters here, so if we do not deliver, we know they are a side capable of punishing the opposition.”
