Siya Kolisi has nothing but love for the PE crowd [video]

If walking the Springboks out for his first Test as captain at the spiritual home of South African rugby wasn't an epic enough occasion for Siya Kolisi, then perhaps achieving a first away win as skipper against the mighty All Blacks on their own turf would have cut it.

Those two occasions will likely rank the highest in the flanker's favourite moments so far in a Springbok jersey, but leading out the men in green and gold for his first Test in his hometown cannot be underestimated as a worthy contender for the top spot.

In a scrappy affair in Port Elizabeth, the Springboks held on for a 23-12 win over the Wallabies, ultimately hanging on to their chances of stealing the Rugby Championship title right under the All Blacks noses, pending the result in Buenos Aries in the early hours of Sunday night (SAST).

Siya Kolisi on the PE crowd In his post-match interview, Kolisi had the same wide-eyed, bordering on besotted look he spotted following the two other aforementioned occasions, but made it a point to turn towards those who were not in a rush to beat the Bay traffic, thanking them for selling out the venue.

Thank you so much guys. We appreciate you guys, and we could hear you the whole game. We really appreciate you.

On the rugby side of things, the Port Elizabeth Test had a far different feel from both its Johannesburg and Ellis Park counterparts as, on both previous occasions, the Springboks had to claw their way back from falling behind early on.

At Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, however, two quick tries one from the mercurial Aphiwe Dyantyi and the other from Faf de Klerk saw the hosts rush to a 14-point lead in the opening exchanges. This was before the men from Down Under clawed their way back and cut the lead to just two points.

I think we took our foot off the pedal, and that's where they came and took their opportunities, Kolisi added.

I'm happy with the way we started, but as I always say, each and every week there's a lot more for us to improve and get better.

Watch: Siya Kolisi gives thanks to Port Elizabeth WATCH: We hear from @Springboks captain Siya Kolisi after their win over the Wallabies in Nelson Mandela Bay #RugbyChampionship pic.twitter.com/mhuN8hK2Kn

- SuperSport (@SuperSportTV) September 29, 2018

Rugby Championship: Next stop, Loftus The Springboks' next assignment is against the All Blacks at Loftus Versfeld next Saturday, a fixture which depending on how Argentina fare against the world champions could be a winner-takes-all affair which will determine the destination of southern hemisphere rugby's biggest prize.

Like it was in Wellington, a valiant defensive effort was required in Port Elizabeth where according to Kolisi, the crowd played its bit. So it's over to you, Loftus!

Tags: Rugby ChampionshipSiya KolisiSpringboksWallabies

LINK:	https://www.thesouthafrican.com/siya-kolisi-thanks-port-elizabeth-vide...
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