Durban – Nobody would be surprised if the Springbok doctor is treating the players for a persecution complex but when they land in Durban on Monday morning it is to the good news that Hollywoodbets Kings Park is sold out for the return fixture against Argentina, and the Boks won’t find a doomsayer amongst the festive 46 000.
The Boks will know on Saturday morning what they need to do against the Pumas to win the Rugby Championship because New Zealand will be hosting Australia in Auckland at 9.30am (SA time).
The Boks and the All Blacks are currently tied on 14 points at the top of the table and on Saturday morning Bok fans will praying for the Wallabies to break their Bledisloe Cup drought (they last held it in 2003) and beat the All Blacks at their Eden Park fortress — the Kiwis haven’t lost there since 1994.
Alternatively, if the Wallabies can prevent the All Blacks from gaining a bonus point, then a Bok win in Durban with a bonus point will clinch the title for South Africa.
Whatever the situation, the Boks can rely on a boisterous crowd at Kings Park, according to Sharks CEO Ed Coetzee.
“We are very excited to have sold out for a huge game that is effectively a Rugby Championship final,” Coetzee said. “For previous games against Argentina we sold 26 000 and 32 000 tickets (in 2015 and 2018) but for this game, we have sold all 46 000 tickets.”
Historically, the capacity of Kings Park was 52 000 but the Sharks have made adjustments to the stadium, including building entertainment areas in the north and south stands and that has reduced the capacity but enhanced crowd entertainment.
“Our main focus is to ensure we treat the people of KZN as well as visitors from outside the province to a great experience and to a good party in the way it is meant to be, and how we know to do it.
“On Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, we have rain predicted in Durban but it will be sunny on Saturday for what should be a wonderful occasion,” Coetzee added.
Springbok skipper Siya Kolisi, now a Kings Park local, will be relieved when the Boks settle into the home comforts of Umhlanga Rocks on Monday.
“It’s been a tough week,” he said after his team’s 36-20 win. “Obviously we read what everyone writes and it’s hard, and some players can take it and some players can’t.
“The biggest thing for us is to just stick together as a group. That’s what we said to each other before we played, and we know people still want results from us no matter what we’re going through.
“So we said, ‘listen, we want to win the Championship, no matter what is going on around us, we gotta make sure that we stick together and we did. This is a special group!”
“The coaches believe in us, and we believe in ourselves, and we have ambitions of doing much more. I’ve heard the match in Durban is sold out and we are excited to get home for a big game.”