From church to battlefield: Kolisi and Savea's unique rivalry
New Zealand captain Ardie Savea and South Africa captain Siya Kolisi will go head-to-head when they lead their respective teams at DHL Stadium in Cape Town this weekend.
But while the pair will be fierce rivals on the field, their remarkable friendship has become one of the most compelling features of the relationship between the All Blacks and Springboks.
It is rare for two players from such fierce sporting rivals to develop such a close friendship during their playing careers.
Yet that is exactly what has happened with Savea and Kolisi – two inspirational leaders who have made an enormous impact on their respective teams.
About two weeks ago, the pair set social media alight when they attended a church service together.
Their friendship, however, extends far beyond rugby.
Savea played a prominent role in New Zealand’s impressive 33-16 victory over the Springboks at Ellis Park last weekend, while Kolisi was forced to watch the match from the sidelines.
With both players renowned for their competitive nature, there will be no shortage of intensity when they finally share the field this weekend.
But despite their fierce rivalry, Kolisi insists rugby is rarely discussed when the two friends meet.
“We don’t talk about rugby,” Kolisi told reporters.
“We’ve both got kids and families, so that’s the conversations that we have between us too. We also share the same faith, and that’s why we go to church together, and also just on life and things off the field, the struggles that we face, you know, that we talk more about that, but rugby is never a conversation.”
The friendship between Kolisi and Savea is also reflective of the mutual respect between the two teams.
The Springboks and All Blacks currently occupy the top two spots in the World Rugby rankings, with their rivalry regarded as one of the fiercest in international rugby.
“A lot of the guys play with each other in Japan, and we’re friends with some of the players off the field too, and the respect also shows, like in friendship,” Kolisi said.
“When I play against my friend, I give him the respect by giving the best that I can on the field, and I think that’s really important.”
The two nations also renewed their rivalry in the 2023 Rugby World Cup Final, where the Springboks secured a historic victory.
For Kolisi, however, the rivalry is about much more than the result.
“When we’re in the World Cup, for instance, you remember everybody wrote the All Blacks off in the last World Cup, you know, and we message each other. We hope we get to play against one another in the Final.
“There’s that kind of respect too, so it’s big, but the biggest one is on the field itself, you know, by preparing and giving your best and playing as hard as you can against the other team.
“I’m really excited to be part of this rivalry.”
Meanwhile, Savea described playing against the double World Cup-winning captain as “special” as he looks forward to a fierce contest against the Boks’ loose forward trio.
“It’s always special playing against Siya [Kolisi]; it’s always special playing against the Springboks.
“It demands a lot from you and as an All Black, it’s one of the toughest Test matches to play.
“To be able to do that in Cape Town will be special, but we know the threat that they pose.”
Savea elaborated on the Boks’ loose forward combination and shed light on rookie flanker Simon Parker’s abilities.
“They’re world-class. We saw what Jasper did last week. Pieter-Steph’s reputation and everyone else’s speak for themselves.
“It doesn’t matter who plays; they’re all world class, and for us as a loose trio we want to test ourselves against the best.”
Savea added: “Simon [Parker] is a quiet battler. He just goes about his work and doesn’t say much,” Savea told Rugby365.
“You know what you’re going to get from him. It’s not about being the best individually; it’s about being the best as a loose trio and working hard together. ”
By Angus Opperman & Leezil HendricksÂ
