sport news South Africa captain Siya Kolisi is a big admirer of the 'intensity' he sees in ... trends now
Sitting in a hotel lobby in London, Siya Kolisi has one eye on the World Cup bulletin being shown on the TV.
‘When I come to England my favourite thing to do is go up to Anfield,’ says the South Africa captain, tucking into two beef burgers as Gareth Southgate appears on screen.
‘I went along to do a photo shoot with Jurgen Klopp recently and I got to watch Liverpool’s training. I was there with my wife. I love Klopp. Having a chat, seeing what he thinks about life and sport, just spending time with him is amazing.
South Africa captain siya Kolisi has revealed he is a big fan or Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool side
‘He watches rugby. He told me a story about how he played the Haka to his team and encouraged them to play with that intensity. We talked about how it gets you in the mindset that you’re ready for war.
‘The way Liverpool play, the way they defend, pressing to try to get the ball back, you need to be up for it. You can’t just go in slightly. It’s the same as our rush defence in rugby. We play similarly. When I watched them train I thought, “Ah, jeez, we do this too”.’
Kolisi will have plenty of chances to visit Anfield over the next few months. The Springboks have arranged a World Cup warm-up match against New Zealand at Twickenham next summer and on Saturday Kolisi’s Durban-based Sharks will feature in the Champions Cup for the first time when they play Harlequins.
The 31-year-old admires their 'intensity' and the way they win the ball back through pressing
‘Hopefully I will get a chance to visit,’ he adds. ‘I’m very good friends with Jordan Henderson. His whole Liverpool story is a motivation for me.
‘Brendan Rodgers didn’t want him at one stage, he was told he must go but he stayed, fought, and now he’s one of the
