Boks want to win the trophy for SA and Eben

VIDEO: The best way for the Springbok team to celebrate Eben Etzebeths’ milestone as he becomes the most capped Springbok of all time against Argentina in Mbombela on Saturday, is by winning the trophy.

Springbok captain Siya Kolisi spoke about the historical significance of the Rugby Championship Test against Los Pumas but said his good friend Etzebeth does not want the day to be about him.

The pair have been best friends since they were teenagers in the Western Province youth ranks and have shared their journey to winning the sport’s biggest global honours not once but twice.

When Kolisi made his Bok debut in 2013 against Scotland in the very same Mbombela Stadium they will play in on Saturday, it was none other than Etzebeth who welcomed him onto the field.

Following the announcement that Kolisi would be selected as captain of the Springboks in 2018, the Bok lock made it no secret of how happy he was for his long-time friend.

“I’ve worked with Siya since U-18 and just to see him grow as a man and a leader in the past two years has been wonderful.

“Can I say I love another man? Because I really love the guy. It’s awesome for me to see him as captain, leading this team. I’ll be there to back him up all the way.”

On Friday after the captain’s run, Kolisi opened up about his longstanding relationship with the towering lock and what he means to him as captain and to the team as a whole.

“I met him [Eben] when I was 18 years old and I had a sleep-over with him and then is when I got introduced to the Afrikaans culture, was through Eben.

“Our families are very tight. Even when he left to play overseas, we stayed in contact.

“In the rugby family, he is my man and I am so excited to play with him this weekend.

“I know he doesn’t want anything to be about him this weekend.

“The biggest way of us showing how special he is to us as a team is if the team plays well and we win,” Kolisi explained.

The captain elaborated on how much he can lean on arguably the best lock in world rugby, and how much his presence in the team means.

“A lot of people see the brutal force that he plays with and the enforcer role that he has taken over in our team.

“His leadership is amazing and he is someone that I can lean on.

“But I think people don’t understand how intelligent he is and the rugby brain that he has, the plans he comes up with.

“He’s got so much more to him than just physicality and we see all the time.

“The way he cares about the team, he cares about the values of the team, and the way he wants us to put the team first at all times.

“It makes my life so much easier to have someone like him in the group.

“He makes sure that everyone stays in line, that’s just how smart he is.

“He is special for all of us,” Kolisi said, adding: “We are sitting with the guy who is going to run out as the most capped Springbok ever.

“It takes a lot to get a lot of caps for the Springboks and the manner he has done it in. I think he has been the most consistent guy that we have in our group year in and year out.

“And just how he carries other people with him.

“We just want to run out and show what he means, but most importantly we want to do it for South Africa.”