South Africa captain Siya Kolisi insists his players will be undistracted when they face England

Springbok captain Siya Kolisi insisted the sideshow around Rassie Erasmus’s tweets will not distract his team from today’s Test against England. 

The World Cup-winning skipper hopes for a positive resolution after the director of rugby was banned for criticising referees. 

‘Nothing stops, work carries on. It doesn’t matter what happens,’ said Kolisi. 

‘That is where we are fortunate coming from South Africa, not everything is perfect. ‘These things happen and we must learn from it. We have lost kickers, lost 10s and we have found new guys who can kick going forward. 

His comments came after Rassie Erasmus received a two match touchline ban

‘The important thing is the togetherness of us as a group and knowing and respecting the opposition. 

‘Our slogan is: “Let the main thing stay the main thing and the main thing is rugby”. Everything else that happens is a sideshow, no one is more important than the team.’ 

England have picked Ellis Genge to counter South Africa’s famous ‘bomb squad’

The hosts have named prop Ellis Genge on the bench as part of their strategy to combat the infamous ‘Bomb Squad’, with Kolisi saying: ‘I think it will work for a team like England because they play similarly to how we play with the kicking game and everything.

 ‘You have to work as a forward at all times, back and forth with the kicking. It’s tough on the big guys so bringing on new guys with new energy who are as good — that’s the important thing about the Bomb Squad. 

‘The bench should be as good as the guys who start. Competition is so important among teammates. People had a lot to say when we did it and now it’s the fashion. Everyone’s doing it.’