2LT National News

Cape Town – Springbok captain Siya Kolisi says he was not worried watching the last few minutes of his side’s 36-34 win over the All Blacks from the sidelines.

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Kolisi was substituted by Francois Louw in the 66th minute of the clash in Wellington at the weekend.

At that stage the Springboks were 36-29 ahead but spent the last minutes of the Test camped on their own goalline.

“To be honest, for some reason I was not too nervous (after being subbed). We felt it. We played well and you could see the guys were defending well. Obviously, you are a bit nervous and sometimes you get lucky in the game,” Kolisi told reporters after the team’s arrival at OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg on Sunday.

“We were nervous but confident at the same time that the guys would make the tackles. It means that we are growing and getting better as a team.”

The Springboks made a whopping 235 tackles as the All Blacks enjoyed 75% possession.

“We spoke a bit after the game. It was the best game we have played defensively. We took our opportunities. The most important thing is building from that. That is what we are going to be working on,” Kolisi added.

“For us, it is a simple thing, we have just got to keep working hard. The coach said it perfectly afterwards, our hard work got us the win with a bit of luck. We have just got to keep on working hard.”

South Africa’s next match is against Australia in Port Elizabeth on September 29, before concluding their Rugby Championship campaign against New Zealand in Pretoria on October 6.

READ: 15 staggering stats following the Boks’ win in Wellington