Springboks captain Siya Kolisi hailed his team\u2019s ability not to panic as they dug in to secure a 32-17 victory over France in Paris, despite being down to 14 players.<\/p>\n
The flanker was playing his 100th match for the Green and Gold and was a spectator in the second period after being replaced at half-time by head coach Rassie Erasmus.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s been revealed that his earlier-than-usual departure from the field was due to the red card issued to Lood de Jager, with Erasmus<\/a> subsequently eager to change his pack.<\/p>\n Victory on his 100th<\/p>\n That proved a masterstroke as Kolisi<\/a> was able to watch a stunning second-half performance from his team-mates, as he ultimately celebrated his 100th run-out in style.<\/p>\n Speaking after the victory on his 100th Test<\/a> cap, Kolisi said: \u201cA lot of my family were here and people who have helped me along the way, and I\u2019m very grateful for that.<\/p>\n \u201cThat said, my focus was on the game because we knew how much they wanted to win this match.<\/p>\n \u201cI must give credit to the team, they really played well, and I\u2019m proud of them and our coaching staff for making plans and not panicking. That\u2019s what makes this team special.\u201d<\/p>\n France v Springboks: Winners and losers as \u2018fine wine\u2019 stars while Fabien Galthie\u2019s men miss \u2018golden opportunity\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n France v Springboks: Five takeaways as South Africa \u2018banish any doubt\u2019 about World Cup win with \u2018seismic statement\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n Addressing being replaced by Ruan Nortje, the flanker revealed how the change came about as he was approached by Erasmus in the dressing rooms during the interval.<\/p>\n \u201cOn a day like today, having to leave the field was a fitting example of putting the team first,\u201d he continued.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen coach Rassie came to ask me, it was a case of putting the emotion aside because the team comes first, and I applaud them for the way they fought.\u201d<\/p>\n Kolisi was hugely complementary to his head coach who was celebrating his own milestone in the fixture against France, lauding what he has done for team and country.<\/p>\n All about the team<\/p>\n