The Bok skipper, swollen face and all, was happy to interact with the fans after Saturday’s thrilling Test.
Not even a suspected broken cheekbone could prevent Springbok captain Siya Kolisi from showing his appreciation to the fans at Ellis Park on Saturday night after leading the team to a thrilling 31-27 win against the All Blacks in the Rugby Championship.
Visuals of Kolisi interacting with large sections of the crowd at Ellis Park after the match have gone viral and left viewers in no doubt Kolisi is one very much-loved man in South Africa.
And why not?
The Bok skipper has led the team to two World Cup titles, in 2019 and 2023, and helped turn the team into the top-ranked side in the world.
With their victory against the All Blacks on Saturday, the world champions have three wins from three matches in the Rugby Championship and they are well on their way to winning the title this season. They also picked up two wins against the Wallabies in Australia in the last three weeks.
Their next match is a second clash against the All Blacks, in Cape Town, this Saturday, at 5pm. It is not yet known if Kolisi will be able to play after suffering the facial injury.
Watch here how Kolisi interacts with the fans at Ellis Park, even though he suffered a probable broken cheekbone during the match, after All Blacks flank Sam Cane collided with the Bok leader’s head.
Kolisi also won over the fans when, during his television interview after the watch, he thanked the thousands of supporters for continuing to back the team. His face is clearly swollen from the knock he took.
Kolisi is almost speechless. “Dankie, thank you, yoh,” says the Boks’ captain.
“On behalf of the team we just want to say thank you so much for the support … not just for tonight, but you’ve carried us through so many battles … us as a team we play for a lot, and you, South Africa are our number one motivation.”
Watch here as Kolisi thanks the fans for their support.
