Savea-Kolisi: One to savour
SPOTLIGHT: The duel between All Blacks great Ardie Savea and Springbok “spiritual leader” Siya Kolisi will be one to savour, New Zealand captain Scott Barrett said Friday on the eve of a momentous Rugby Championship Test.
Savea will earn his 100th cap at Eden Park on Saturday, lining up against 94-Test back row opposite Kolisi, the man who has lifted the silverware for South Africa at the last two World Cups.
However, Kolisi won’t be captain for the match in Auckland between the world’s two highest-ranked nations, having been a doubt to play because of a knee injury.
Springboks coach Rassie Erasmus said it would be unfair to take the captaincy off midfield back Jesse Kriel, who spent most of the week preparing to lead his side before regular skipper Kolisi became a late addition to the starting lineup.
Barrett expects Kolisi to be as influential as ever, even without the captain’s armband.
“Siya, he’s a spiritual leader in their team, vastly experienced and he brings the physicality. You know he’ll love that match-up against Ardie,” Barrett said.
“He’s huge for them, but Ardie leads with his actions on the park every time he puts that jersey on and I’m sure he’s going to deliver tomorrow night.
“He rises to these occasions, you know, so hopefully we can make it memorable for him.”
Barrett said he sensed extra intensity within his side and from the New Zealand public as they prepare for a major threat to the All Blacks’ unbeaten run of 50 Tests at Eden Park, dating back 31 years.
“It certainly feels like there’s a bit more on this Test match,” Barrett said.
“We’ve talked about the 50,000-odd crowd that are going to be in behind us, as well as the rest of the country.
“The bigger the game, I guess the more refined your strategy and tactics need to be.
“There’s going to be pressure moments and in those moments you want to be able to deliver. We’ve just built the excitement for what is going to be a heck of a Test match.”
Barrett said the All Blacks have shaken off the disappointment of their 29-23 loss to the Pumas in Argentina.
They have also learned from two Rugby Championship losses in South Africa last year, having spurned leads on both occasions as the Springboks stretched their winning run over New Zealand to four matches.
“We had a tough tour, with the Boks coming over the top both times, so we’ve certainly got that in the back of our mind,” Barrett said.
