Siya Kolisi and Rassie Erasmus reflected on the emotional weight of playing in Soweto after the Springboks beat New Zealand 29-24 on Saturday to take a 2-1 series lead — their first win over the All Blacks at FNB Stadium, having lost there in both 2010 and 2012.
Erasmus admitted the reality of ticket affordability hit him hard on the day. "I was unbelievably emotional today because I wanted us to come to Soweto and take it to the people, and then I thought when we got here, 'They don't have the money to come into the stadium,' and then we had a chat about that."
Kolisi drew on that same awareness as a source of motivation during what he described as a demanding contest. "We had to dig deep. Driving through Soweto, seeing how the kids were sprinting to come see the bus — they can't afford to come and see us. But seeing that and understanding the history that has happened here in Soweto — people fought for me to be able to sit here, for us to be here today."
The skipper was clear about who the performance was for. "That's who we play for — not only the ones that can afford [tickets], but every single South African. The way we had to fight today, that's what made it even more special."
Kolisi expressed hope that future fixtures at the venue would be more accessible to local communities. "We are really grateful that we came here, and hopefully in the future when we come back, more people from here can come in and get to watch us play."
The Springboks' only other Test at FNB Stadium was a win over Argentina in 2013. The series concludes in the United States next Saturday.