Springboks fight for Freedom Cup glory

SPRINGBOK rugby fans have rarely had it as good as they have today, with the men’s and women’s teams in a unique doubleheader against old foe New Zealand.

- MIKE GREENAWAY [e-mail]

Siya Kolisi’s double world champions kick it off at 9am this morning against the All Blacks in the Kiwi capital, Wellington in a match that is crucial to their ambitions of defending the Rugby Championship title they won last year.

Later in the day, with the dew barely having settled on the clash at Wellington’s famous Cake Tin stadium, the Bok Women take on the Black Ferns in a World Cup quarterfinal at Exeter in south west England, at 2pm.

The odds are against the South African ladies - they are ranked 10th in the world while the Kiwis are the defending world champions. Still, the Bok Women have promised to “empty the tank” and do their country proud.

Coach Swys de Bruin colourfully said to his ladies: “Leave everything on the field. We will carry you off if you are too tired to walk at the end of it. This is the biggest game of your life, go out and enjoy it.”

The Bok ladies have already covered themselves in glory by making the playoffs of a World Cup for the first time.

While the Bok Women have nothing to lose, the same cannot be said for Kolisi’s Springboks. Their preseason goal was to win back-to-back Rugby Championship titles for the first time.

The Boks have never achieved this since the tournament started in 1996.

But the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry, with the Boks managing just one win from their three Championship games thus far.