Siya reveals his ‘most underrated’ Springboks

There will always be pundits and supporters who have their favorite players, frequently based more on their outward appearance than on their contribution to the team.

But the team frequently assigns players significantly different rankings.

In an exclusive conversation on the Big Jim Show, a RugbyPass TV special, double World Cup-winning Springbok captain Siya Kolisi discussed which players he believes are most underappreciated.

When Jim Hamilton, the host, asked Kolisi who the most underappreciated Springbok in the World Cup-winning team was, he answered without hesitation.

“Damian de Allende,” he stated in reference to the athlete he believed was not receiving the recognition he deserved.

Kolisi added fullback Willie le Roux’s name right away.

Regarding Le Roux’s contribution, the Bok captain questioned quizzically, “You know how many tries he has created for the team?”

“He always notices things, far ahead of other people.”

“I off-loaded to Malcolm [Marx] in my first game back following my knee injury, against Wales [a World Cup warm-up match].

“Willie [le Roux], throughout the performance. “Come here, Siya,” he said. They are going to shoot [up] at me, and I will give it to you, and you will succeed.

 

“[It occurred] precisely as he said.

“All of this is going on while the game is running.

“I went through and off-loaded the ball to Malcolm, who scored,” he said.

“That is absurd.”

In addition to discussing Hamilton’s departure to Paris, Kolisi and Hamilton also discussed Kolisi’s friendship with Rassie Erasmus, the 2023 World Cup, and why it was more significant than the 2019 World Cup.

This special is absolutely a “must-watch.”

All you need to do is sign up for a free account on RugbyPass TV and watch the entire episode.

Below is a glimpse of what is in the interview.