‘Could have done better’: Siya Kolisi’s stunning revelation after World Cup glory
World Cup in 2023.
After defeating rivals New Zealand 12–11 in an exciting final at Stade de France last weekend, South Africa won back-to-back titles. Once more, the Boks achieved rugby immortality.
But the Springboks are different from other teams in a special way. The Boks, a team that is still at the top of rugby, have already considered what they “could have done better.”
That conveys a great deal about the world champions.
The stadium was empty long after the full-time siren had sounded. The groundskeepers were the only people visible; there were no seats in the stands.
However, you could hear the winners.
A muted version of The Cranberries’ “Zombies,” performed by the Boks or perhaps their supporters, reverberated throughout the Paris venue. On social media, however, it was verified that the champions did indeed sing that song.
@rugbyworldcup South Africa with their rendition of Zombie after winning the Rugby World Cup 🏆 #rugby #RWCfinal #RWC2023 ? aint no mountain high enough – sped up audios
Lock Eben Etzebeth later received a haircut at five in the morning from teammate RG Snyman as the Boks continued to celebrate their historic victory.
But after beating the All Blacks by a single point in one of the most memorable World Cup finals ever, the Boks paused to think amid all the excitement, relief, and celebration.
At the World Rugby Awards on Sunday, captain Siya Kolisi said to a few reporters, “We won the World Cup and then we got our stats late last night while we were partying as a team and we still looked at them, you want to see what you could have done better.”
When we realized how many tackles Peiter-Steph (du Toit) had made, we lost our minds.
Kolisi added, “Right now, we’re just getting better and enjoying each other’s company. When we go home, I think that’s when it really hits home because we’ll see what it means to the people back home and we’ll see exactly what we’ve been playing for.”
Before the Rugby World Cup, many people had different expectations for this final. The world’s fans and experts predicted that countries like Ireland and France would usher in a new era of northern hemisphere dominance, but the south triumphed.
Before facing those heavyweights from the northern hemisphere, the All Blacks and Boks were both “written off in the quarterfinals,” but the Rugby Championship side prevailed.
“We hold them in the highest regard. When asked about the All Blacks, Kolisi said, “We were both written off in the quarterfinals already; people were talking about how dominant the northern hemisphere is.”
“As the southern hemisphere, we are aware of our capabilities. Many people may have written them off, but we all know what the All Blacks are.
“A team that has accomplished more than any other team in rugby history—their win percentage—cannot be written off. We are aware of their potential.
Just two weeks prior to the competition, the All Blacks had suffered a record-breaking 35-7 loss to the Boks and had already lost to France in their opening World Cup match.
However, the Kiwis kept working behind the scenes, and their efforts nearly paid off with the biggest prize.
Usability With roughly five minutes remaining in the final, Jordie Barrett missed a penalty attempt at goal that would have given the All Blacks a slim two-point lead.
For the All Blacks, however, it was not to be. Coach Ian Foster’s final Test did not have a happily ever after, and captain Sam Cane will always carry the memory of his historic red card.
“We always warned them to be on the lookout for the All Blacks as they went about their work.”
“We were aware of their potential. Because of how well coach Ian Foster is, how hard they clearly worked, and how they turned things around, I have a great deal of respect for them.
“Coaching must be difficult when you know that these are likely your final few days. You have to try to push all of your feelings to the side and concentrate on leading a team to victory.
“Sam Cane too, a lot of people gave him a lot of criticism about his game and the way he played this World Cup has been ridiculous – actually his whole year. It tells a lot about what kind of characters and people they are in New Zealand.
“That’s why the team was able to get to the final.”
