Springboks captain Siya Kolisi explains why ‘everybody buys into’ Rassie Erasmus’ plans

Two-time Rugby World Cup-winning captain Siya Kolisi has provided insight into the Springboks’ preparations and the collaborative nature of the set-up.

Under the tutelage of Rassie Erasmus and Jacques Nienaber, South Africa lifted the William Webb Ellis Cup in 2019 and then became just the second nation to defend their title.

The Boks had unconventional tactics in both tournament victories, including the makeup of the benches, the infamous ‘Bomb Squad’ and 7-1 split, to calling for a scrum in their own 22 from a mark call.

Players being themselves

Speaking on the Behind the Ruck Podcast, Kolisi was asked by former Bok scrum-half Rudy Paige how Nienaber and Erasmus were able to gain support for these strategies and playing style from the whole team.

“Coach Rassie, Jacques, and the entire coaching staff set the standard for everything.” “This is what we think, what do you guys think?” they said after bringing their plans to the group. Kolisi gave an explanation.

“Everyone is included, regardless of how many caps they have—everyone has a voice, and we all come to an agreement.” Of course, the coaches have the last word in everything, but everyone can contribute.

“At the conclusion, the coaches declare, ‘This is our plan,’ and everyone accepts it.”

Players being themselves

Kolisi says that players putting aside their egos also played a part in the Springboks’ buy-in, but he attributes it to the coaching staff’s collaborative style.

This meant that the players had to embrace a motto of prioritizing South Africa over their personal aspirations.

“Whether it’s what you wanted (the plan), keep in mind that when you play for the Springboks, your ego is checked at the door. We represent South Africa, and that’s the most important thing, so the Springboks are more important than you,” he continued.

“We want to make people proud. It’s not about us anymore, and that was the biggest thing for us as a group, which kept us going.

“We knew that our own personal dreams and goals would only be achieved if the team achieved what they wanted, so we put the country first; we put the Springboks first.

“You worked yourself out of the squad if you didn’t buy into it because we have a mission, a goal, and over 65 million people watching us.

We all come from different backgrounds, have different skin tones, are different races, and practice different religions, which makes us varied.

Coach Rassie often taught us that we would need to learn to be considerate of one another, so we had to work together to make it happen. To get the most out of everyone on the team, we need to foster an atmosphere where everyone feels free to be who they are.