Siya Kolisi says the Springboks achieved most of their objectives in Saturday's 80-31 win over the Barbarians at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, but pointed to a breakdown in defensive discipline as the one area that gave him concern.
The Boks ran in 12 tries in their season opener under Scott Robertson, yet Kolisi was candid about the passages where the invitational side wrestled back momentum, particularly in the first half.
"The way we started, our kicking game and winning the scraps, I think we did that well. Then we started not making first-time tackles and letting them get their offloads away, which really got them in the game. They got the upper hand a bit in the first half," Kolisi said.
He added that the lapses served as a useful lesson rather than a serious concern: "When we don't follow the plan, these are the things that happen. We saw a lot of what we wanted to see and I think we could have controlled some of the opportunities better."
On his own performance heading into another season, Kolisi said he felt comfortable despite the Barbarians' high-tempo approach. "I felt good in the game… I thought we played in the beginning how we wanted to play and then we had some weak moments, but in general I felt good."
Kolisi also used the post-match platform to back Bafana Bafana, who drew 1-1 with Czechia in Atlanta on Thursday after opening their FIFA World Cup campaign with a loss to Mexico. Drawing on the Springboks' own experience of losing to New Zealand in the 2019 World Cup pool stage before going on to lift the trophy, he urged South Africans to stay positive. "We don't always get it right… let's just be as positive as we can and get behind them."
He extended similar wishes to the Proteas Women, currently competing in the ICC Women's T20 World Cup.