SPOTLIGHT: Springbok captain Siya Kolisi says he will try his best to get the ball into Elrigh Louw’s hands in Saturday’s Rugby Championship opener against the Wallabies in Brisbane.
After four appearances off the bench at Test level, the Bulls star gets his first start in the No.8 jersey.
Louw will have the experienced Pieter-Steph du Toit and Kolisi around him on Saturday and the Bok captain wants the 24-year-old to play to his strengths.
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“I’m excited for Elrigh. I think he has had an amazing URC season,” said Kolisi.
“I’ve really enjoyed training with him and I know what it feels like to play against him.
“As a loose trio, we want him to have the ball because he is a strong ball carrier and he is also good on the ground which is exciting for our team.
“Me and Pieter will just be in his ear, encouraging him to be him.”
Kolisi added: “We all have a system and we all have things we need to do in the system. What makes him special is the reason why he is here.”
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#PREVIEW: Check out our prediction for Saturday’s #RugbyChampionship opener between #Australia and #SouthAfrica in Brisbane 👇#Wallabies #Springboks #AUSvRSA https://t.co/NLmdMMTbL3
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Meanwhile, assistant coach Mzwandile Stick is backing Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu to showcase his skills and talent after he was also rewarded with his first Test start in the No.10 jersey.
“We haven’t done anything differently with Sacha starting because we don’t want to place extra pressure on him,” said Stick.
“As a coach, it’s great to see how the players help one another improve, and it’s been the same with Sacha, Manie [Libbok] and Handre [Pollard] this week.
“A lot of people see him [Sacha] as a very exciting young player, but we know him well having come through the SA Rugby structures, while he also represented the SA ‘A’ team.”
Zooming in on the talented young pivot’s skill set, Stick said: “He’s certainly a young player with a big heart and who pulls the trigger at times and makes big calls. He also doesn’t shy away from the physical side of things, and he can play No.12 and No.15 as well, so we are excited to see what he brings to the team.”
Additional source: @Springboks
