WITH tensions running high on the eve of today’s Test match against the Lions, Springbok captain Siya Kolisi and assistant coach Mzwandile Stick did their best yesterday to avoid getting sucked into the verbal tit-for-tat between the two camps which has simmered steadily all week without quite boiling over. 

However, both men made a point of standing their ground against some of the verbal grenades which have been launched in their direction. 

In response to Lions head coach Warren Gatland’s reported fury that South African Marius Jonker has been appointed the Television Match Official for the whole series after New Zealand’s Brendon Pickerill withdrew due to pandemic-related travel disruption, Stick expressed bemusement. 

 “As a Springbok team, we don’t appoint officials,” he reasoned. “That is a job for World Rugby, so I wouldn’t really go deep into that and say we are happy or unhappy because it is not in our hands. But one thing I know is that those guys are all professional and all respect that job. So, it doesn’t affect us, our focus is on preparing to win the game. If they [the Lions] have a problem about the TMO appointment, then they can go and have a chat with World Rugby regarding that.” 

Stick became slightly more animated when asked about Gatland’s claim earlier this week that the Springboks’ ego had been dented by the way the Lions had stood up to South Africa ‘A’ at scrum time last Wednesday. 

“Again, I am not going to go deep on that one, but we were happy as a Springbok team because if you look at the most important stat in that game, which was the final score, then you see that we won the game, so I’m not too sure what it is he thinks they ‘dented’ against us,” said the assistant coach. 

“I’m not going to fall in that trap where I play the mind-games – I’m not a mind-games person – the game is played between four lines, and if Gatland is talking about egos then he doesn’t really know much about us as South Africans.  

“We can see where we all stand tomorrow after the game. Hopefully we can give the people a good show of rugby. We know they are going to be tough, we know they are going to be physical, so when it comes to the ego, we’ll see the egos between the four lines.” 

Earlier in the day, during the Lions’ pre-match press conference, winger Duhan van der Merwe – who was born and raised in South Africa before moving to Europe six years ago – said he is expecting a fairly hostile reception from the Springboks team. When asked about that, Kolisi insisted that he and his team have more important things to worry about. 

“Well, you clearly haven’t heard anything [about that] from our side,” was his retort. “We’ve never been that kind of team and will never be that kind of team. 

“We’re going about our business, focussing on the game, and we’d never focus on one player. That definitely doesn’t come from our side, so I don’t know anything about that. 

“We haven’t come out and said this is what we’re going to do, we’re going to be chirping. No, we don’t do that. We save our energy for the work that we need to do.” 

Stick couldn’t resist adding his two cents worth. “You know very well that we are good people in South Africa. If it wasn’t for the pandemic, we would surely have invited Duhan for a braai [barbeque],” he quipped, with a wry smile. 

Asked if the pre-match jibing had got to him, Kolisi was emphatic. “My only job is to play and to do what the team requires of me. All the other stuff is out of my control. I can’t focus on that, and it definitely doesn’t get to us as a team,” he said.