His head barely looked over his shoulders, so deep was Allister Coetzee collapsing. Looking for a look, deliberately choosing the wording, did not want to give the coach of the South African rugby national team an adequate description of the course of this historic evening. "Not necessarily like a horror movie," Coetzee said, following the word "but" directly. Because this 0: 57 defeat on 16 September 2017 against New Zealand was to explain, but not to excuse. Perhaps the most complex national team in modern sports history has reached its playful low point.
The "Springboks" team, at the beginning of the 20th century, above all a symbol of a successful sporting rebellion against the British colonial rulers, later became the incarnation of the apartheid state: white, uncompromising and brutal. Then in 1995 - after the cancellation of the sports boycott - there was not only the world championship title in their own country. That the first black president Nelson Mandela presented the white trophy to white captain Francois Pienaar had so much symbolic power that even Hollywood could not resist. The movie "Invictus" with Matt Damon and Morgan Freeman was nominated for an Oscar in 2009.
But of course the story was more complex. Only now, more than two decades later, has the break-up of apartheid structures really gained momentum. The only black player on the winning team in 1995, Chester Williams, reported after the ongoing racism, still in the second title in 2007, only two non-white players were on the field during the final. This Saturday, the Springboks are led for the first time at the World Cup in Japan by a black captain in a World Cup match - against New Zealand, the opponent of the 1995 World Cup finals.
The first black captain of the Springboks
Not even six months after the debacle, coach Allister Coetzee had been dismissed and new coach Rassie Erasmus deployed.
Already for the first home game against England in June 2018 Erasmus appointed one of his best players, Siya Kolisi, captain. The 28-year-old - selfless, charismatic and eloquent - is not just the first black captain of the national team. He embodies a part of South African rugby history, which belongs in the same way to the country as the often primary white elite boarding, from which many players come today. Growing up in the township, where they have also been playing for decades, where during the apartheid times in the stadiums games as well as opposition rallies took place, where quite a few supported the New Zealand team with its numerous non-white players, Kolisi is an authentic signal for more Inclusion.
Odd Andersen / AFP
Siya Kolisi is South Africa's captain
Kolisi, who, like ex-captain Pienaar, wears jersey number six at the 1995 trophy, told The Guardian in 2018: "I know that my story is in some ways a typical South African story, and it's my motivation. " But not only Kolisi, the whole increasingly diverse national team has made a leap. Still undefeated in 2019, aggressive in defense and also thanks to the now world-class crush Faf de Klerk, South Africa is New Zealand's first challenger. It is quite possible that the two teams will face each other not only this Saturday, but also in the final on 2 November.
New Zealand wants third world title
New Zealand, in the eyes of many South Africans, the long-standing playful and cultural antipope, could be world champion for the third time in a row at this World Cup. Despite a record defeat in preparation for Australia, despite the sorting out of prominent names such as Owen Franks, New Zealand is still the sporty benchmark par excellence.
Even with a victory on Saturday, South Africa would still be a bit off the level of the All Blacks. But the first step has already been taken: towards a team that is slowly starting to represent South Africa - not just as a feel-good story, but in all its complexity.