Siya Kolisi lauds healthy competition within Springboks squad

South Africa captain Siya Kolisi lavished praises on the depth in the squad as they face New Zealand in the third round of the Rugby Championship on Saturday.

The Springboks are already at the top of the table having won both their matches against Australia and now face Scott Robertson's side that has been bolstered by the return of Sam Cane and captain Scott Barrett.

The last time South Africa locked horns with the All Blacks was during the final of the 2023 Rugby World Cup which they went on to win 12-11 and now are eyeing their third consecutive win against the New Zealand.

Kolisi believes that the intense competition for spots in the match-day squad is pushing South Africa to new levels as they look to maintain their winning momentum.

"When you put on the Springbok jersey, there is a lot to play for," Kolisi told reporters on Friday.

"The competition is not the opposition; it is the guys who you are playing with. But it is healthy competition.

"Within the group we help each other. (Fellow flanker) Marco (van Staden) is my best coach, Kwagga (Smith) is my best coach.

"You can not relax in a Springbok jersey. You can never be comfortable, because someone is coming for you. We are blessed with loose forwards in South Africa, we have so many."

After the encounter on the weekend, the two teams will meet again in the 4th round of the competition in Cape Town on 7th September.