1995 World Cup-winning Springbok lock Mark Andrews says he recognised “something special” in Siya Kolisi from their first meeting.
Kolisi became the first black African to captain the Springboks after being appointed by Rassie Erasmus before the 2018 series against England.
He has since led South Africa to back-to-back World Cup titles in 2019 and 2023, consecutive Rugby Championship titles in 2024 and 2025, and series victories over the British & Irish Lions in 2021 and the All Blacks this year.
With 58 Test victories as captain, Kolisi has surpassed John Smit’s record of 54.
Andrews, who earned 77 caps, was impressed by Kolisi from their first meeting during a Bok jersey handover.
“He stood up and spoke, and you could see the respect he had for an older player and how genuinely appreciative he was of me giving my time, and he had humility,” Andrews told the Big Men Talking podcast. “He just had that something special I saw then.
“Being an Eastern Cape boy made me prouder and I think Rassie chose him as captain not because he was a black player. He chose him because he was the best captain that he had. The fact that he was an African, a Xhosa boy, was just a bonus, and he has been magnificent.”
SIYA INSPIRATION: The value of Kolisi
Andrews, who made his Test debut in 1994, sees similarities between Kolisi and Francois Pienaar, who captained the Springboks to their first World Cup triumph in 1995.
“As much as Francois was an incredible leader for us in ’95 and we needed someone like him to hold us together, Siya has done the same thing,” he said.
Andrews also praised Kolisi’s ability to respond when his performances and leadership come under scrutiny.
“Every time people write him off … You look how he played in the All Black series – the carries he made, the tackles he made – he was just huge.”
Photo: Floris van Schouwenburg/Gallo Images
The post Bok legend: Siya made big first impression appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.