Springboks captain Siya Kolisi has expressed his disappointment after South Africa suffered a stunning 38–22 loss to Australia in the Rugby Championship clash at Ellis Park.
The Boks looked unstoppable early in the game, racing to a 22–0 advantage inside the first 20 minutes with three quick tries.
However, the Wallabies produced a remarkable comeback, completely overturning the scoreline and punishing South Africa for easing off.
Speaking after the match, Kolisi admitted that the performance was unacceptable at international level.
“We really let ourselves down, and we have to own that,” the 34-year-old said. “It’s simply not good enough. You start strong, then ease off — that’s not acceptable at this level. It just isn’t.”
Kolisi, who was deployed at number 8, also praised Australia’s Fraser McReight, who was named Man of the Match.
“We’d fight our way into their 22, only for them to turn the ball over. It’s what they do, and they do it well. You saw Fraser McReight nail it; he was outstanding and deserved Man of the Match,” he added.
Despite the disappointment, the Springboks skipper took a moment to thank supporters while promising a stronger response in the return fixture.
“Thank you to everybody who supported us. Sorry about the performance, but we’ll come again next week,” Kolisi concluded.
