Siya Kolisi has made clear that Saturday's match against the Barbarians at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium carries full Test-match weight in the Springbok camp, regardless of the occasion's exhibition billing.
"For us, it's never a festival game; we are playing a proper Test match. We are playing for South Africa, after all," Kolisi said at Friday's captains' press conference. "Guys are getting an opportunity, and it is our first game, so we want to make sure of the result. We want to implement everything we did during the off-season and in the week. We are playing for positions, so it's a Test match for us."
Kolisi acknowledged the BaaBaas' characteristic approach — a 19-man international-heavy squad assembled by Scott Robertson with only a week of preparation — but said it changes nothing about the Boks' mindset. "They have only been together for a week. I have played for the BaaBaas; you have a lot of good times earlier in the week, then later on you focus on expressing yourself. For us to stay disciplined in what we want to do, because the opportunity will be there."
The match doubles as a homecoming for the captain, who was born in Zwide and missed last season's Eastern Cape fixture through injury. "I am very excited to be here. It has been awesome being here and seeing friends and family. I don't know how many of these opportunities I am going to get going forward."
Kolisi also spoke to the internal competition driving standards in the current camp, singling out the Under-20 contingent's impact. "The depth is what keeps these guys hungry and growing. Nobody can be comfortable. It's been the hardest camp; the intensity has been so high, but the contributions of the youth have been amazing. They also see things differently than we see them, so good things are happening in this group."
The SA 'A' side faces Zimbabwe in the curtain-raiser at the same venue before the main event.