Former Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp has sent a heartfelt message toSpringbok captain Siya Kolisi, congratulating him on reaching an incredible milestone of 100 Test matches for South Africa.
Despite having to play with 14 men for the entire second half after lock forward Lood de Jager was controversially red-carded, Kolisi’s Bok side produced an inspiring performance to earn a crushing 32-17 win over France .
In a special video message shared on his Instagram account, Klopp spoke with deep admiration about Kolisi’s journey from humble beginnings in Zwide to becoming a two-time Rugby World Cup-winning captain.
“Siya, my friend, another milestone in one of the most incredible sports careers I’ve ever heard of,” Klopp said. “The things I love in life the most are stories about people who made their way. Obviously, the most inspiring stories are the stories where the start was at a time when nobody could even imagine that a positive future was possible, and I think that’s your story.”
Kolisi, who led the Springboks toWorld Cup glory in 2019 and again in 2023, became only the seventh South African to play 100 Tests for his country when he captained the Boks against New Zealand earlier this year.
Alifelong Liverpool fan, Kolisi has often spoken of his admiration for Klopp — and the German coach clearly feels the same.
“Calling you my friend is one of the biggest honours I can imagine,” Klopp added. “Having an idol in a sport I don’t understand at all is pretty special as well.
“Congratulations. One hundred, isn’t it crazy? And the best is still to come. Much love from Germany. See you.”
Klopp’s message struck a chord with South Africans and Liverpool fans alike, as two of sport’s most respected leaders shared a moment of mutual respect, proof that inspiration knows no boundaries.
On the night Siya Kolisi reached his century of Tests, the Springbok captain reminded the rugby world that leadership isn’t only about charging into tackles, but sometimes it’s about stepping back for the team.
Up against a fired-up French side, a cauldron of 80,000 roaring fans at Stade de France, and a hotly debated red card to lock Lood de Jager, the world champions could easily have cracked.
Instead, they dug deep, showing the kind of grit that has become as familiar to South Africans as the green and gold itself.
The Boks turned pressure into purpose, clawing their way to a 32–17 win that felt more like a statement than a scoreline.
When halftime arrived, the coaches faced a brutal call that resulted in Kolisi’s 100th Test ending early. The team needed to reshuffle, and the captain had to make way for tactical balance. His response was pure Siya.
“To take our captain off in his 100th match because we had to put Andre [Esterhuizen] on to play loose forward and centre, depending on whether we had a scrum or a line-out, was a tough call,” said coach Rassie Erasmus.
“But when we said it to him, he just took it on the chin and understood. Same with Damian de Allende, who was playing really well, but we had to sub him so Andre could play both in the scrums and the backline.”
Kolisi’s calm acceptance rippled through the team like a silent war cry.
“The impact Siya made from the bench was when the whole team saw the moment he was told he wasn’t going to play the second half, and he said he totally understands,” Erasmus added.
“That impact is enough. Then the other players say, ‘Our captain, who has played 100 games, is willing not to go in the second half for the team to win.’ That impact is enough.”
It was a reminder that Kolisi doesn’t just wear the armband, he embodies the Springbok creed: team before self, always.
Erasmus also tipped his hat to the brains trust behind the victory, the Bok assistant coaches who helped rewrite the game plan on the fly.
“The bench had a good impact, but it’s the plans the coaches made at half-time that made it easier for the guys that went on,” he said.
“The defence coach, attack coach, Duane [Vermeulen] with the breakdowns, Deon [Davids] with the line-outs, Daan [Human] the scrums, and Tony [Brown] the attack.
“I take very little credit. This bunch of players and a lot of people said they are getting old, they are wiser and calmer under pressure.”
Even with the crowd roaring like a Parisian thunderstorm, the Boks never lost their composure.
“Playing here, and the French can be so proud of their supporters, but for us it was intimidating,” Erasmus admitted.
“But luckily, we’ve been through this before in 2018, 2019, 2022, and 2023. The experience showed at half-time, making plans, staying calm, sacrificing for the team.”
Kolisi may have played only 40 minutes, but his presence was felt for all 80. From the moment he stepped off the field, he became the team’s heartbeat on the sideline, steady, selfless, and still leading every ruck and run from afar.
His 100th Test wasn’t only about glory. It was about grace, the kind that wins not just games, but hearts.
This week, in the quiet hum of Springbok camp before the thunder of the tackling France at the Stade de France in Paris, Rassie Erasmus pressed play on a short video, and silence fell.
The clip came from Hamediehs Rugby Football Club (RFC), a 130-year-old Cape Flats institution that’s been a lifeline for generations of kids dodging the dangers of the streets. In it, a 13-year-old boy battles the daily storms of township life, poverty, violence, temptation, until he finds his refuge on the rugby field.
Erasmus, marking his 50th Test in charge, knew the story would speak louder than any team talk. When he showed it, the room grew still. Every player saw a reflection of their own journey.
“Salaam! (Peace), yes, that video is special for so many reasons,” said Siya Kolisi, preparing for his 100th Test as captain.
“In that clip we saw what club rugby does for kids in the community.”
Then his voice slowed, his words carrying the weight of lived truth.
“Rugby is more than just a sport to us. People say that, but for us, it saved us. It kept us from so many things we were never supposed to be exposed to as children.”
Kolisi knows the boy’s pain because he once was that boy, the kid from Zwide who found light in a muddy field, who rose from hunger to hoisting the Webb Ellis Cup in 2019 and again in 2023.
“To see that clip and know kids are still going through that, it hits deep,” he said.
“I’ve been given a platform, and it’s our duty to make sure we create a better tomorrow for those kids — to make it safer, to give them choices. That’s what rugby has done for me.”
“It’s not just about the trophies,” he said. “The trophies give us a platform to give back. This game isn’t about me, it’s for those kids at Hamediehs, for every boy and girl whose lives are changed by rugby.”
Erasmus, ever the innovator, often reminds his team that victory isn’t just on the scoreboard.
“Coach Rassie speaks about it all the time,” Kolisi added. “It’s not just about winning or losing. Our drive goes deeper. Rugby doesn’t just change lives for 80 minutes; it saves them from the things that can take their lives away.”
So when Kolisi leads the Boks onto the Stade de France turf on Saturday night, that Hamediehs boy, and every child who’s found safety in rugby’s embrace, will run beside him.
Because for Kolisi and the millions who see themselves in his story, rugby isn’t just a game.
It’s hope. It’s family. It’s the hand that pulls you from the storm.
For Siya Kolisi, rugby wasn’t just a game, it was a way out. A lifeline. A field of hope that pulled him from the dusty streets of Zwide to the world’s grandest rugby stage.
Now, as the Springbok captain runs out for his 100th Test against France in Paris on Saturday night, his story stands as living proof of what sport can do for a young boy who could so easily have been lost to circumstance.
“I’m very proud and honoured, and I’m grateful to everyone who’s played a part in my life because I wouldn’t be here without my community,” Kolisi said ahead of his milestone.
“The foundation of who I am is from Zwide and the wider community. The people there parented me, and the teachers at school believed in me.”
Rugby as Redemption
Kolisi’s journey, from barefoot kid to Bok centurion, mirrors that of countless young South Africans who have found direction, purpose, and family through rugby. It’s a game that has replaced street corners with scrums and despair with discipline.
“Coach Rassie gave me my first contract,” Kolisi recalled.
“Then there was coach Heyneke (Meyer), Allister (Coetzee), Jacques (Nienaber), and all my club coaches. I’ve taken lessons from them all. They could have chased me away, but they backed me.”
That faith didn’t just build a player; it built a man.
“I carry all my teammates, from childhood to now, into each game, along with all the South Africans who expect so much from this team,” Kolisi said.
“Because they’ve seen what we’re capable of.”
A Game Bigger Than the Man
Kolisi’s 100th Test will be shared with his children, his community, and his country. But he’s quick to shift the focus from himself to the collective, to the game that gave him everything.
“It’s been a relaxed week,” he said.
“I’ve had my kids here and people who’ve supported me over the years, so that’s been special. But the team comes before the individual in our setup. If we do well as a team, the milestone will be special anyway.”
The match against France also marks Rassie Erasmus’s 50th as head coach — another figure who understands that rugby in South Africa isn’t merely about trophies. It’s about transformation, both personal and national.
On Saturday, Kolisi will once again lead his team into battle, not just against a French side seeking revenge for last year’s Rugby World Cup quarterfinal loss, but against the very odds he’s defied all his life.
“This game is like a knockout,” he said.
“We know how big it is for rankings and pride. But for us, it’s always about purpose, to represent our people, to make South Africans proud, and to keep building something that lasts.”
He knows the fight will be brutal.
“Games against France are always big because it’s two powerful packs facing one another,” Kolisi said.
“Physicality will be key; winning the gain line and the breakdowns. The team that uses their opportunities best will win.”
For many young South Africans, Kolisi’s 100th cap is more than a personal achievement, it’s a symbol of hope. Proof that the sport can still be a bridge out of poverty, a classroom of character, and a safe haven from the dangers that lurk beyond the touchline.
Kolisi’s story isn’t just about how he reached 100 Tests, it’s about how rugby gave him 100 reasons to bel
And on Saturday night in Paris, as the Springbok skipper leads his team onto the field, every step he takes will echo with the footsteps of those boys still chasing the same dream, one pass, one tackle, one life at a time.
Siya Kolisi is about to make history – again. On Saturday night in Paris, the Bok skipper plays his 100th Test for the Springboks, marching out under the lights like a general who’s fought every battle and still wants one more.
And fittingly, the man pulling the strings, Rassie Erasmus, hits his own half-century as Bok boss. Two rugby masterminds, one glittering stage, and a French crowd ready to make noise until sunrise.
New Faces, Same Fire
Rassie’s tinkering hands are back at work. Six changes.
Boan Venter in for the injured Ox Nche.
Thomas du Toit tightens the screws at prop.
Eben Etzebeth partners Lood de Jager in the engine room – pure granite.
Pieter-Steph du Toit returns to roam the flanks.
Damian Willemse starts at fullback; Cheslin Kolbe shifts back to his natural wing.
RG Snyman goes to the bench, resting his fire for later.
Behind them, it’s a mix of flair and fight with Cobus Reinach and young Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu to run the show at halfback, with Damian de Allende and Jesse Kriel holding the midfield fort.
Kolisi leads the bruising loose trio again. It’s the same combo that traded blows with France in Marseille two years ago.
“This is the team best suited to what we expect from France,” says Erasmus.
“They’ve been there, felt the heat, and know what’s coming from that passionate French crowd.”
And on Siya’s milestone?
“It’s massive. We’re all proud of him. He’ll stay focused on the job, but if we get it right, it’ll be a night to remember.”
Paris Will Burn (Rugby-Wise)
Les Bleus want payback for last year’s World Cup heartbreak. The French press has been singing revenge songs all week. The Boks? Calm. Cold. Calculated.
“France have class all over the park and a crowd that won’t stop,” says Erasmus. “We have to be sharp, take our chances, and fight from first whistle to last. It’ll be brutal — and beautiful.”
Kick-off: 22:10 (SA Time) Live on SuperSport Grandstand & Rugby channels.
Kolisi 100 — By the Numbers
Debut
2013 vs Scotland
Tests as Captain
72
World Cups
2
Total Tries
14
Coach Rassie Tests
50
Previous Centurions
8
Boks vs France — Quick Stats
Tests: 46
SA Wins: 28
France Wins: 12
Draws: 6
Last Meeting: SA 29–28 France (RWC 2023 QF)
Modern Take
Kolisi’s 100th test match is not only a remarkable milestone, but it’s a story of a kid from Zwide who against all odds turned grit into gold. Now, one more dance in Paris, and maybe, one more chapter for the legend.
Asenathi Ntlabakanye’s rugby journey has taken another dramatic twist. Just a week ago, the Lions prop was bulldozing defenders in a Barbarians jersey. Now he’s back inSpringbok green and goldright in the middle of a media storm.
The 26-year-old has been called up to replace the injured Ox Nche, who limped off during South Africa’s 61–7 demolition of Japan at Wembley on Saturday.
But Ntlabakanye’s recall comes with added scrutiny, he’s still awaiting an anti-doping hearing in December after testing positive for a non-performance-enhancing substance earlier this year.
Ntlabakanye, who disputes the finding, missed the Boks’ September tour of New Zealand after returning the adverse result. Despite the pending case, he remains eligible to play, and the Bok coaches haven’t hesitated to bring him back into the front-row mix.
“I’m not going to comment on a case that’s ongoing at the moment,” said assistant coach Felix Jones when asked about the issue.
“I’m not sure the world knows about it yet, but his skill set is incredibly impressive. He’s a very dynamic player who can get around for a guy who can handle himself in the scrum or on the ball.”
The timing of his recall couldn’t have been tighter. Ntlabakanye scored a second-minute try for the Barbarians against the All Blacks XV at Twickenham on Saturday, before flying across London to rejoin the Bok squad the very next morning.
A few hours later, he was en route to France, ready to line up against Les Bleus in the Autumn Nations Series this weekend.
Head coach Rassie Erasmus said the call-up was an easy decision:
“We feel for Ox and wish him well in his recovery. Asenathi has been with us for a big part of the season, he knows our systems, and he was already on standby. The fact that he was in London made it an easy fit to slot back in straight away.”
At 141 kilograms, Ntlabakanye brings raw power and energy to the Bok front row. And he’ll need all of it as he battles Gerhard Steenekamp and Boan Venter for a spot against France.
It’s been a whirlwind few months for the Johannesburg-born prop. From Test debut, to controversy, to this sudden recall.
But now, under the bright lights of Paris, he has a shot at redemption and a chance to remind everyone what he does best: dominate the scrum, not the headlines.
