Springboks captain Siya Kolisi is hoping that South Africa’s Rugby World Cup win last year will have a positive effect on the country’s Super Rugby teams this season.
South Africa have four representatives in the competition in Kolisi’s Stormers side, the Lions, Sharks and Bulls, but they have failed to claim a title between them in 10 years and they have failed to produce results against the New Zealand-based sides.
However, on the international stage things seem to have changed and Kolisi believes the mental effect of winning the World Cup could change things at club-level.
“All these games are about mentality. You want to go there and say you’re going to win all the games, I think that should be the attitude. Us winning that game in Wellington gave us that mentality. When we go on tour, we want to win every game. We don’t want to aim for this one or that one. In most of the teams I’ve played for in the past, you already lose before you get off the plane because you’re choosing which games you’re going to win,” he said while speaking to Sport24.
South Africa’s World Cup glory saw them match the All Blacks on three Webb Ellis Cups overall, despite playing in a tournament less.
That win came on the back of the Boks winning 36-34 in Wellington in 2018, which clearly had a positive effect on the side as they came back to snatch a 16-16 draw a year on with only seconds remaining away to them again.
The draw last year helped them claim a Rugby Championship title, but it showed how much the win the previous year has changed the squad’s attitude towards facing their New Zealand counterparts away from home.
Although the 28-year-old has always put his all into every game, but he thinks that now others may have further motivation when against the New Zealand sides.
“I have played against New Zealand teams many times and they have always pitched up and I don’t think much is going to change there. I think what will motivate the guys to play is that some have left so there are open spaces, and everyone will want to perform,” he added.
Kolisi and his Stormers side are currently getting ready to take on the Hurricanes in the opening round of this year’s competition on February 1st, with the Stormers at home, but it will be interesting to see if there is a change in attitude when they head to New Zealand throughout the season.
