• Springbok captain Siya Kolisi regretted how they didn’t take the momentum from the first All Black win forward into the Rugby Championship.
• After beating the All Blacks in Mbombela on 6 August, the Springboks then proceeded to lose two matches on the bounce.
• Kolisi added that their last three wins have given them momentum for the end-of-year tour.

In Durban

Springbok captain Siya Kolisi regretted how they didn’t carry on with the moment from the All Black game in Mbombela, saying that it was the one game where they took their chances.

The Boks’ inaccuracy post that 26-10 win on 6 August came back to haunt them in the Rugby Championship as they were pipped to the post by the All Blacks at Ellis Park the following weekend and then the Wallabies in round three.

The Springboks may have won 38-21 against the Pumas at Kings Park on Saturday, but they needed to win by 39 points to wrest the Championship from the All Blacks.

That didn’t happen as the Boks failed to convert their dominance into points.

READ | Kolisi rues missed bonus points in Wallaby, All Black defeats as Boks ponder what could have been

Kolisi was happy, however, with the way the Boks played.

“We didn’t change much from that Mbombela game, but the difference was in that game, we took our chances,” Kolisi said.

“We managed and dictated that game, but in the second game, the All Blacks had a different plan that involved fewer kicks and we only really figured that out later.

“We’ve been creating opportunities, even in the Ellis Park game despite the result, but we know the way we play, and our system works for us.

“As players, we need to play what’s in front of us and create opportunities as and when they come. We just need to trust our system more.

“The teams there [on the end-of-year European tour] kick more and we’ll be tested at our strengths and in different facets.”

Kolisi admitted that their Rugby Championship campaign should have been better than what it turned out to be.

A positive he took from the tournament was the fact they’ve made huge strides from a momentum perspective ahead of the end-of-year tour.

They’ll be facing Ireland, England, Italy and France on four consecutive weekends, alongside SA A midweek games.

READ | Boks down Pumas, but fail in their Rugby Championship quest

“We had some great moments in the Championship, and we also had some weak moments,” Kolisi said.

“We were looking for that consistency as a team and we know we can win when our backs are against the wall.

“Today was a big step forward because we won three games in a row, that gives us momentum to take into the end-of-year tour.

“We want to get to that place where it’s like we’re at a World Cup and our mentality is of wanting to win the game and being consistent.”

Kolisi also credited Argentina for their tenacity.

“They didn’t win by luck against New Zealand and Australia. They’re an amazing team with an amazing coach,” Kolisi said.

“As much as we didn’t win the championship, we’ll never take any Springbok win for granted.”