Springbok captain Siya Kolisi has been cleared to return to action and will lead South Africa in Saturday’s crucial second Test against New Zealand at Cape Town Stadium.
Kolisi’s return comes at an important time for the world champions, who are desperate to bounce back after suffering a heavy 33-16 defeat to the All Blacks at Ellis Park in Johannesburg last Saturday.
The defeat gave New Zealand a 1-0 lead in the four-Test series, leaving the Springboks under pressure to respond in Cape Town.
Kolisi missed the opening Test after suffering a Grade 2 hamstring tear during South Africa’s Test against Argentina in Buenos Aires earlier this month. The injury forced him off after only about 20 minutes and subsequently ruled him out of the first All Blacks encounter.
The Springbok skipper’s return was carefully managed by the team’s medical and coaching staff because of the seriousness of the hamstring injury.
Head coach Rassie Erasmus confirmed on Tuesday that Kolisi had successfully come through the final stages of his rehabilitation and would start the second Test.
Erasmus explained that the team had been cautious because a Grade 2 hamstring tear requires adequate recovery time. Kolisi was required to run at full pace during training and successfully completed those sessions without experiencing discomfort.
The 35-year-old’s availability is a major boost for the Springboks, particularly after they struggled to turn their dominance in certain areas of the first Test into points.
Kolisi will slot back into the loose trio alongside Pieter-Steph du Toit and Jasper Wiese, while Du Toit, who captained the team in Johannesburg, returns to his normal position.
What went wrong at Ellis Park?
The Springboks entered the opening
Test as favourites but were stunned by an impressive All Blacks performance.
New Zealand scored five tries to South Africa’s one, producing a 33-16 victory that left the home side with plenty to reflect on.
South Africa did enjoy periods of dominance, particularly at scrum time, in the contact battle and in the aerial contest.
However, they failed to capitalise on those advantages.
Handling errors, poor decision-making and missed opportunities prevented the Springboks from converting their pressure into points.
The All Blacks, meanwhile, were ruthless when opportunities came their way and punished South Africa’s mistakes.
Erasmus takes responsibility
Erasmus did not hide from the defeat.
The Springbok coach accepted that some of the tactical decisions made by the coaching staff contributed to the loss, while stressing that the players had followed the instructions given to them.
He described the result as a major setback but insisted that it was not the end of South Africa’s hopes of winning the series.
Following the defeat, Erasmus said the team needed to regroup, avoid distractions and find a way back into the series. He pointed to previous Springbok comebacks, including their recovery after losing the opening match of the 2019 Rugby World Cup to New Zealand.
‘World Cup knockout mode’
The Springboks have subsequently gone back to the drawing board.
According to Erasmus, the team has approached this week’s preparations almost as if it were entering the knockout stages of a World Cup.
The emphasis has been on greater accuracy, better decision-making and making sure that periods of dominance translate into points.
The return of Kolisi is part of that effort, while experienced fly-half Handré Pollard has also been brought back into the starting XV for the Cape Town Test.
Erasmus has also stressed that the Springboks cannot afford to become distracted by the result in Johannesburg.
New Zealand coach Dave Rennie, meanwhile, expects a significantly improved South African side on Saturday.
Rennie said the All Blacks themselves would also have to improve, particularly in the physical battle and discipline, because he expects the Springboks to respond strongly after last week’s disappointment.
A must-win encounter for the Boks
Saturday’s Test therefore carries enormous importance.
A second consecutive defeat would leave South Africa trailing 2-0 in the four-match series and facing a difficult task to overturn the deficit.
A victory, however, would level the series at 1-1 and give the Springboks renewed momentum heading into the remaining two Tests.
The next two encounters will be played at FNB Stadium in Johannesburg on September 5 and M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, United States, on September 12.
For Kolisi, Saturday is about more than simply returning from injury.
The two-time Rugby World Cup-winning captain returns to a side that was badly beaten in his absence and will be expected to provide the leadership, physicality and composure that have become synonymous with his captaincy.
With the All Blacks leading the series and South Africa determined to respond in front of their home supporters, Cape Town promises another heavyweight chapter in one of international rugby’s greatest rivalries.
