Tries from wing Makazole Mapimpi and Malcolm Marx helped South Africa secure a comfortable 29-10 victory over Argentina in their Rugby Championship clash at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on Saturday.
Both tries came in the second half, and the Springboks will be disappointed they could not score more to earn a bonus point in a dominant performance until a scrappy last 15 minutes.
Argentina scored a late try from loose-forward Pablo Matera, but they largely found the unyielding home defence too difficult to break down.
The teams were due to share a charter flight to Australia on Sunday, but championship organisers are discussing where and when the competition will continue due to COVID-19 travel regulations in New Zealand that have left plans on hold.
Boks just want to play says Kolisi after NZ COVID-19 restrictions
Organisers are now scrambling for an alternative venue to complete the championship after New Zealand said on Friday they would not host the Springboks next month, or travel to play in Australia next week.
New Zealand Rugby (NZR) said authorities had advised that the Boks would not be permitted to enter New Zealand for tests in Dunedin on September 25 and Auckland on October 2 after their government imposed stricter COVID-19 travel regulations.
Reports suggest the remainder of the competition could be played in the United Kingdom, while South African Rugby has also offered to host all four sides following the tour of the British & Irish Lions that finished earlier this month.
“We can’t control everything, but tomorrow is happening and we are really excited and looking forward to it,” Kolisi told reporters on Friday.
“That is the most important thing right now. Argentina will probably say the same thing – whatever happens, tomorrow is guaranteed.”
He said the preference of the squad would be to stay in South Africa, but added they will go wherever the matches are.
“There are two teams here already. We would love to stay here and play, but we will also play anywhere,” Kolisi said.
The Boks did not play a test between winning the Rugby World Cup in Japan in November 2019 and a fixture against Georgia 20 months later due to the global pandemic.
Kolisi said the squad’s desire to be back on the pitch overrides any long quarantine concerns they may have.
“We missed a whole year of rugby, so at this moment we will do anything to continue playing. We don’t know what will happen with this virus in the future, so we are appreciating the time we have,” he said.
