Kolisi and the Boks on top of the world: 'That's where we want to stay'

• There is a long way to go, but the Springboks winning the Rugby Championship this year would solidify their standing as the best on the planet. 
• Skipper Siya Kolisi says it is important to focus on the immediate challenges and not look too far ahead. 
• The Boks are in action on Saturday when they host Argentina at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.

The Springboks are world champions, British & Irish Lions series winners and the No 1 ranked side on the planet.

They are also the Rugby Championship defending champions, though the circumstances surrounding that title make it a slightly less impressive feat.

The Boks were worthy winners in 2019's shortened format of the southern hemisphere's premier international showpiece - their draw in Wellington proved as much - but they skipped the 2020 edition with the coronavirus pandemic having left their players cold and severely short on game time.

It will have hurt watching from the sidelines as the All Blacks fought their way to the title of what was dubbed the 2020 Tri-Nations, but the Boks are now in their stride once more, having played four Test matches in the last four weeks.

They take on Argentina again at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on Saturday - they were 32-12 winners at the same venue this past Saturday - and with the All Blacks and Wallabies not in action, the Boks will climb to the top of the 2021 Rugby Championship log with another win.

The obvious spanner in the works is the uncertainty surrounding the future of the competition, with Covid-19 concerns seeing the All Blacks unable to travel to Australia for next weekend's fixture, while Australia's own strict quarantine requirements throw the rest of the competition in doubt.

It is not clear whether Australia, South Africa or even Europe will host the remainder of Rugby Championship 2021.

One thing that is clear, however, is that if the Boks are to somehow emerge victorious, they will have solidified their status as the most dominant side on the planet.

It would also surely not be a stretch at that point to consider this one of the most successful Springbok teams of all time.

The Boks of 2007 to 2009 also won all there was to win and is the other team that would naturally come into that conversation.

The 2019-2021 Springboks, though, have overcome much adversity, most of it because of Covid-19.

Asked directly on Friday if there were conversations within the group around where this Bok team would stack up in history, Siya Kolisi stressed the importance of focusing on what was immediately in front of them.

He did, however, touch on elements of the legacy he wanted this team to leave behind.

"Each player, when he accepts being chosen into the team for the first time, we all want to leave this jersey in a better place than when we got it," said Kolisi.

"You want to invest yourself and give everything you can while you've got the privilege of wearing the Springbok jersey.

"We want to win every single game that we play, and we prepare to win every game we play. We want to win every competition we're playing in, otherwise, it would just be a waste.

"We put the same effort into each game, no matter who we're playing. We narrow it down to each week ... it's the same processes as the week before.

"We obviously do have the end goal, which is winning that trophy, but we are trying to not think that far ahead."

When one considers how far this team has come under the tutelage of Rassie Erasmus and Jacques Nienaber, who took over in 2018 when the Boks had reached new lows in the two years prior, it is a remarkable turnaround.

"That's why we're here. That's why we're making sacrifices to be here. Some of us are missing our families, and some of us left them behind, but everybody wants to be here," Kolisi added.

"Whatever the challenges are, they will never be an excuse if we lose a game. When we step on the field, we've accepted that everything is fine and we'll be ready.

"I remember Eben (Etzebeth) saying last year to the group, that it's a hard road getting to the top, but what's even harder is staying there as long as we can. That's where we want to be for as long as we can."

Kick-off against the Pumas on Saturday is at 17:05.