Springboks: Siya Kolisi opens up on Rassie Erasmus’ ‘immense’ role in his career ahead of milestone match

Springboks skipper Siya Kolisi is looking forward to making his 100th Test appearance for the world champions when they face France in Saturday’s Autumn Nations Series Test in Paris.

By playing in his 100th match for South Africa, Kolisi will join an elite club of Springboks Test centurions of which he is the ninth member and the first loose forward to achieve the feat.

The 34-year-old’s milestone match coincides with another significant achievement in the team, as Springboks boss Rassie Erasmus will guide his troops in his 50th Test match as head coach.

Kolisi revealed the mood in the world champions’ camp in the build-up to this massive occasion for him personally.

‘I feel the occasion within the team’

“It’s been a relaxed week. If we were at home, I think it would have been a little different,” he told reporters on Friday. “Obviously, I feel the occasion within the team, but the most important thing for me is what we do as a team tomorrow.

“I’ve been fortunate enough to have my children here and people who have been supporting me over the years, so it has been special in that sense. But the team comes before the individual in our set-up, and if the group does well, the milestone will be special anyway, so we just want to give ourselves the best chance to win tomorrow.”

Delving deeper into his feelings ahead of the momentous encounter, the Bok skipper added: “I’m very proud and honoured, and I’m grateful to everyone who has played a part in my life because I would not be here without my community and the people of all walks of life who have helped me.

“The foundation of who I am, however, is from Zwide and the wider community. The people there parented me, and the teachers at school believed in me, and it was the same when I went to Grey High School.

“In the rugby environment, coach Rassie has been immense. He gave me my first contract, and then there was coach Heyneke (Meyer), Allister (Coetzee), who gave me my first start, and Jacques (Nienaber), as well as all my club coaches. I’ve taken lessons from them all. They could have chased me away, but they backed me.

“I’m also grateful to all my teammates from childhood to where I am today, and I carry all of them in each game, along with all the South Africans who expect so much from this team because they’ve seen what we are capable of.

Why Siya Kolisi is so important to the Springboks: Rassie Erasmus’ verdict on ‘humble’ star’s ‘massive’ milestone

‘It’s always a huge honour to wear the Springbok jersey’

“But I’m not doing it alone. I’m doing it with my teammates and all the people in the wider squad. It’s always a huge honour to wear the Springbok jersey, but to do it 100 times is extra special.”

Turning his focus to the clash with France, Kolisi said he expects an epic encounter against Les Bleus, who they defeated 29-28 the last time the teams met in the 2023 Rugby World Cup quarter-finals at the same venue. He suggested the battle up front and in the backline would be massive.

“This game is a big game for us, it’s like a knock-out game,” he said. “We also know how big the (world ranking) points will be for us if we win the match, so we are going out there with that mindset and we are looking forward to the game.

“Obviously, this match has different factors behind it, but for us, it’s a game we have to win so we can keep on being the top side in the world and get a good pool for the World Cup draw. We’ve seen in the media the hurt France are still carrying (from 2023), but for us, our purpose is constant.

“And that is to represent our people and country, and also to win for coach Rassie to have a team that is transforming and building squad depth all the time. At the end of the day, it’s all about what’s going to happen between those four lines tomorrow.”

Kolisi elaborated on this, saying: “Games against France are always big because it’s two big packs facing one another, and it’s important that the scrums and lineouts are dominant. They also have good backs, but so do we, and we are very similar teams with passionate fans, so there are many similarities between the sides.

“Physicality is going to be important tomorrow because winning the gain line and the breakdowns will determine which team wins, and of course, the side that uses their opportunities best.”

READ MORE: Why the Springboks are in white jerseys against France and could be for the rest of 2025