South Africa's Siya Kolisi has the ability to connect with officials. Photo: Aurelien Morissart/AP
At the culmination of this year's World Cup, no matter where South Africa finishes from first to fourth, Siya Kolisi will not face a particularly difficult journey home.
The Springboks captain, one of the most influential, will join Racing 92, the French aristocracy whose home stadium is located just 10 kilometers from the Stade de France, where the remaining matches of the tournament will be played.
When Racing 92 announced the signing of Kolisi, the devil was in the details. Given the flanker's exploits as a player — the World Cup gong and his already memorable Lions series wins — the French club didn't hold back with the usual superlatives; More intriguingly, however, Racing 92 praised Kolisi's «social cohesion», his «deep humanitarianism» and «an athlete committed to community».
Kolisi's journey from town to titan and his overwhelmingly positive impact on his teammates has been well documented, but it is in the intangibles that the South African captain is now proving his worth. Kolisi is a great player, but even better human qualities are bearing fruit for his team.
Handre Pollard confirmed this on Tuesday. «I think Siya has grown a lot over the years as a person, as a player and especially as a captain,» the Springboks midfielder said.
“He has reached a new level. He's a friendly, inspiring guy; it happens naturally and that is why we follow it. There's nothing fake about it. He is an honest, real person.”
Kolisi's approachability, authenticity and diplomacy were never felt more keenly than in his interactions with officials at this year's Rugby World Cup. Looking back at the Springboks' quarter-final win over France, it came as something of a surprise that the only time Kolisi approached referee Ben O'Keefe, who has been the target of much vitriol across the Channel, was in the first half. overthrow of Eben Etzebeth. And there was no melodrama, no hysteria, no special pleas; Kolisi was a model of politeness and refused to endorse any of his French counterpart's animosity towards the officials at the post-match press conference.
Contrast that with Owen Farrell's performance a few hours earlier on Sunday, when Ellis Genge received an alleged slap from the Fijian on the floor. «He slapped him, he slapped him,» exclaimed the England captain, looking at referee Mathieu Raynal; compare this also to Antoine Dupont's petulant pleas during the same match.
Owen Farrell's relationship with the referees is controversial. Photo: PA/Mike Egerton
“However, it has never been like this. Kolisi 2023 is a far cry from the edgy flanker who burst onto the scene in 2013 at the age of 22. Kolisi 2023 is also a far cry from the leader turned henchman to Rassie Erasmus's ridiculous referee tirade during the 2021 Lions Tour, during which the South African captain scathingly accused Nick Berry of double standards and lack of respect him as much as his colleague Alan Wyn Jones.
Kolisi's diplomatic development was no accident. It was a proactive move by Erasmus and the rest of the Springboks management following the autumn defeat to France last year, a match after which Wayne Barnes received death threats for his performance.
Kolisi and Erasmus knew that the Springboks' relationship «with judges on the verge of irreparable damage — and that something needs to be done. Using former referee Nigel Owens as a consultant, they rethought their approach — their entire modus operandi — both in terms of strategy and in terms of communication with the referee.
Siya Kolisi's communication skills are highly regarded. Photo: Getty Images/David Rogers
Where there was once aggression and irritability, there is now calm and harmony. Eramus and his head coach Jacques Nienaber realized that refereeing a rugby match had become almost as difficult as playing it; but they also, more astutely, realized that unconscious bias dictates that the team that least offends the referee is more likely to benefit from 50/50 decisions. This is not a controversial finding—it's just human nature.
“Sometimes a lot gets lost in translation and a lot gets lost in the tone of voice,” Erasmus said on Tuesday. “I know that the tone of my voice may not be the quietest, or sometimes I sound irritated or maybe not as friendly as I should be.
“She has the gift of communicating with everyone and with anyone — a team. comrade, player, referee, assistant referee, media. He has just been given the gift of friendliness, and although he speaks his third language (he can speak Afrikaans, Xhosa and English), he handles himself well.
“We even had to change our game. plan because we can't just rely on the referees to make those tough decisions in the mauls, in the scrums… But it's nice for the referee or anyone who works with Sia because he's a good, friendly guy.»
< p>This Saturday's semi-final will be the third time O'Keefe has refereed South Africa at the tournament; perhaps the New Zealander was as pleased as the Springboks to learn of the appointment.
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