‘I knew how he felt’: Siya Kolisi’s act of class after emotional World Cup final

Wing Cheslin Kolbe was in tears on that fateful night at the Parisian venue as the relief, jubilation, and pride of the Springboks’ 12-11 win over the All Blacks began to sink in.

Kolbe had been sent to the sin bin inside the final 10 minutes of the Test, and with the opportunity to become world champions once again, it left the Boks in a tough spot.

But when the full-time whistle sounded at Stade de France last month, capping one of the most thrilling Rugby World Cup finals in history, Springboks captain Siya Kolisi ran over to an emotional teammate.

The All Blacks also had several good chances to win the match, such as when inside center Jamie Barrett missed a goal attempt immediately after Kolbe took a seat in the sin bin.

Referee Wayne Barnes, however, blew the whistle for full time after what must have seemed like an eternity, and South Africa had successfully completed their historic quest for back-to-back titles.

As Kolbe prepared to return to the field, captain Siya Kolisi, a two-time World Cup winner, embraced him. Siya Kolisi was likely the only other Bok who understood exactly how Kolbe was feeling.

Earlier in that second half, Kolisi had become the first Springbok to receive a yellow card in a World Cup final. Even though it was a thrilling conclusion, Kolisi, Kolbe, and the Boks were the ones celebrating a historic fourth World Cup victory at the end of the evening.

“I knew how he felt, which is why I ran back to him,” Kolisi said to reporters in response to a RugbyPass query at the World Rugby Awards in Paris last month. “Fortunately, they didn’t score, but I was freaking out when I got the yellow card.

“After I entered the game, they scored, and we were given a yellow card.

“With 14 men, we knew New Zealand could step it up, and we knew they would in the second half.

“But I’ve always had faith in the group.”

Even though it seems like a long time ago, the Rainbow Nation is still very much in the middle of the celebration.

Clad in his medal, Kolbe spoke candidly about the “disappointing” intentional knock-on that sent the elite wing to the sidelines.

It’s disappointing to be given a yellow card in the World Cup Final, Kolbe said to reporters in Cape Town.

“I let the entire country down, which made me even more disappointed.”

“At the time, I disappointed my teammates.

“I genuinely think that at that point, that’s where God wanted me to be.

To tell the truth, I was not present when the final whistle blew.

“When a member of the management team approached and grabbed me, I realized we had won the World Cup and were returning with gold to South Africa.”

It was a totally relieving moment.

We are aware of the significance of the victory for South Africa as well as how it unites our nation.

It unites individuals.

“It seems like what we need, and hopefully we can keep doing that and it doesn’t end.”