Kolisi silences Springbok critics ahead of All Blacks series decider in Baltimore

Siya Kolisi has urged the Springboks to block out external noise and back their methods as South Africa prepare to face the All Blacks in a series decider at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore on Saturday, with a 2-1 lead meaning a win or draw will secure Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry.

The 107-cap captain acknowledged that tries and points scored may favour New Zealand across the four-Test series, but was unequivocal about which statistic matters most. “What is said outside doesn’t really matter because we do what works for us, and we know who we are and want to stick to the way we play,” Kolisi said, pointing to South Africa’s scrum and maul as the decisive weapons that have delivered match victories under Rassie Erasmus.

Kolisi also pushed back against the perception that the Springboks operate within a rigid system. “Our system isn’t rigid. We can play set-piece rugby and a kicking game. We don’t have a system that says we have to play a certain way. It’s one that creates opportunities for us to play, so as long as it works, we’ll stick to it, and if it doesn’t, we’ll find a better way to do things.”

An All Blacks win in Baltimore would level the inaugural series at 2-2, a scenario Kolisi is determined to avoid. “We definitely want to win the series. We don’t want to draw it, and that has been our mindset this week. The key thing for us will be to make sure we enforce our game on them, and pitch up physically on the day.”

New Zealand arrive with a significantly changed lineup, most notably with Richie Mo’unga returning at fly-half — a development Kolisi acknowledged as a meaningful threat. But the Springbok skipper framed the broader challenge in terms that reflect the accumulated pressure of a month-long rivalry. “In my experience, it doesn’t get tougher than this. It’s like playing four Rugby World Cup finals in as many weeks given the quality of both teams. We both want to enforce our style of play on the game.”

With both sides having had three weeks to study each other’s patterns and probe for new weaknesses, Kolisi suggested the series has evolved into something closer to a chess match at the highest physical level — one South Africa believe their identity and consistency will ultimately decide.