Siya Kolisi, the two-time Rugby World Cup-winning captain of South Africa, admitted to feeling pre-match nerves before tasting victory in his debut for Racing 92. Racing 92 secured a convincing 32-10 win against La Rochelle in Paris, catapulting them to the top spot in the French Top 14 table.
Just a month after lifting the Webb Ellis Cup at Stade de France, the 32-year-old Kolisi played as an openside flanker for 54 minutes, contributing to Racing’s sixth win in eight games this season, allowing them to surpass the surprise package, Pau.
Kolisi shared his thoughts on the pre-match jitters, saying, “I was quite nervous before the game because your reputation and all that you do can only take you so far. The guys only respect you by what you do on the field, and that’s what I wanted to do: play well and add value with what I do on the field. It’s going to be tough for me to stamp my authority, but I’m going to give my best.”
Despite being down to 14 men for over 50 minutes due to Teddy Thomas’ red card, La Rochelle, the Champions Cup holders coached by former Ireland fly-half Ronan O’Gara, suffered their fifth loss this campaign.
Since the end of the World Cup, Kolisi has become a prominent figure in French rugby, appearing on television programs and gracing newspaper covers. His fame has transcended the sport, as he was recently a courtside guest at a Brooklyn Nets NBA match.
While he was booed by Stade Francais fans a week ago, this time, there were only cheers for Kolisi, who had inspired South Africa to a second successive World Cup title.
Kolisi’s first significant play since lifting the Webb Ellis trophy came after 14 minutes when he pounced on a loose ball, leading to a penalty kicked by scrum-half Nolann Le Garrec, making it 10-3 after Juan Imhoff’s early try for the hosts and Antoine Hastoy’s shot at goal for the visitors.
Racing took a commanding 24-3 lead at halftime, including a penalty try and a touchdown by fly-half Antoine Gibert, facilitated by some intelligent play by Kolisi at a scrum. La Rochelle winger Thomas was sent off for a high tackle on Imhoff.
During halftime, Kolisi was seen giving advice to his forwards in the changing room. However, upon their return to the field, it was O’Gara’s side that narrowed the gap to 24-10 thanks to No 8 Yoan Tanga’s try.
With 25 minutes left to play, Kolisi, the league’s biggest signing since Dan Carter between 2015-2018, received a warm reception from the crowd at the indoor La Defense Arena as he was substituted for 21-year-old Maxime Baudonne.
Racing secured the bonus point and the top spot when England full-back Henry Arundell crossed for his fourth try in two games with just two minutes left to play.
On Saturday, former French rugby federation president and ex-France head coach Bernard Laporte suffered his first defeat as Montpellier director of rugby with a 26-21 loss to promoted Oyonnax. Montpellier, the 2022 champions, now sits at the bottom of the table after seven consecutive defeats, marking their worst run since owner Mohed Altrad took over 12 years ago. Meanwhile, Pau claimed the top spot, defeating Racing’s Parisian rivals Stade Francais 30-6, with English fly-half Joe Simmonds scoring 15 points from the boot.
