Humble Siya Kolisi has always put the team first, says Rassie Erasmus

Rugby scribes the world over have been waxing lyrical about Kolisi's major milestone this week.  But for the, ahem, double World Cup-winning captain, it's just another build-up to a massive Test.

Kolisi's elite levels of humbleness have always been a part of his rugby career. He's openly deferred to the leadership of legends such as Duane Vermeulen and Eben Etzebeth in difficult times. This year, when he was a late inclusion for the Eden Park test against the All Blacks, he insisted Jesse Kriel keep the captain's armband.

Speaking to the press this week, Erasmus said this team-first attitude will continue and Kolis will be celebrated after the Parisian showdown.

"Siya is going to run out 10 seconds earlier [than the rest of the team], and that's it," said the coach, who celebrates his own milestone of 50 games in charge of the Boks.

"We don't like to make a big thing about it until afterwards, in the team function, that's where we will do something proper.

"Siya is one of those who, throughout winning World Cups and the British and Irish Lions series, and reaching other milestones, has kept a level head on him.

"We are very proud of Siya, we are proud to be part of him reaching that milestone, but there are a lot of other guys that are close to milestones, so there's a lot of them that's going to come now, but at the end of the day, Siya handled it like Eben handled it when those big milestones came; if you make those things bigger than the match then you tend to come out second best in that match."

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