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Kolisi: Boks have all bought into Rassie's plan

Cape Town - It may not be easy on the eye, but the Springboks have booked their place in the 2019 Rugby World Cup final against England and to captain Siya Kolisi and his side, that is all that matters. 

The Boks' 19-16 win over Wales on Sunday was built around huge defence, set piece dominance and a lot of kicking, which didn't make for the most entertaining contest for the neutral. 

For Kolisi and his men, however, this is the end of a result of two international seasons under Rassie Erasmus that have seen the Boks recover in an astonishing manner. 

When the Boks had two torrid years under Allister Coetzee in 2016 and 2017, a World Cup final in 2019 seemed highly unlikely. 

Erasmus, though, has restored pride to the Springbok jersey and has once again made them one of the most respected and feared sides in world rugby. 

"It means a lot to me and the team," Kolisi said after Sunday's clash. 

"We worked really hard.

"Hw (Erasmus) gave me my first contract when I was 18 years old (at Western Province), so I've known him for a while.

"He has coached a lot of the guys from different (provincial) unions, so he knows us and has had to pull us together.

"We had to buy into his plan, and he has made it clear that the Springboks is the most important thing."

Kolisi added that Erasmus had brought about change off the field as well as on it. 

"In the past, we tried to build ourselves by our social media, and all those kinds of things," Kolisi said.,

"He just brought us back down to earth, and told us, 'You have to play well first, and everything else will come'.

"It's awesome to see it come together. It will mean a lot for us to go all the way as a team.

"In 2007, I was a kid watching the World Cup final in a tavern because I didn't have a TV at home. I know what it did for us back then. I have never seen people come together over sport (like that)."

Kolisi had received a phone call from South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on the eve on the semi-final.

"It was really special for him to take time out and wish us luck. Not only from him, but all the people in South Africa. It is really special to see how they have bought into what we are doing here," he said.

"The match was a semi-final, and Wales are giving their best and we are giving our best.

"You will make mistakes, but one thing I enjoy about the coach is that he lets us know that we will make mistakes, but just to keep working as hard as we can."

Kick-off for Saturday's final is at 11:00 (SA time). 

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