ReutersMay 26, 2023, 07:29 AM2 Minute Study
Springboks captain Siya Kolisi sustained a knee injury though playing for the Sharks and is in a fitness race ahead of the 2023 Rugby Globe Cup.David Rogers/Getty Photos
South Africa are confident captain Siya Kolisi will be match for the Globe Cup just after undergoing knee surgery final month and will give him as significantly time as feasible to be prepared even if he misses the opening games.
Kolisi suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury playing for the Sharks against Munster in the United Rugby Championship final month, but according to South Africa coach Jacques Nienaber is “hitting his markers” in terms of his recovery.
He stated Kolisi was on track to be match for the Word Cup, which kicks off in France in September and exactly where South Africa will be defending the trophy that Kolisi lifted in Japan 4 years ago.
“You will recall that Siya was injured back then as effectively and did not play via most of the make-up to the tournament. He did not lead the group when we won the Rugby Championship that year, and from memory he only played off the bench in our final warmup Test in Pretoria ahead of our departure and then he played in the game we played against Japan in Japan two weeks ahead of the begin of the tournament,” Nienaber told a press conference on Thursday.
“We’ve been via this ahead of and we know that Siya can play at a Globe Cup and do a excellent job of major the group as that was what occurred in 2019.”
South Africa Director of Rugby Rassie Erasmus stated he hoped that Kolisi could even be prepared for one particular of the warm-up tests against Argentina, Wales and New Zealand.
Kolisi will be provided correct up till the tournament to prove his fitness simply because of his very important function with the side. “He’s our captain,” stated Erasmus. “It really is simply because he is captain that we are undertaking this. Even if he misses the very first game against Scotland,” stated Erasmus.
South Africa will continue preparations for France with a camp in Pretoria subsequent week and will name a squad of among 32 and 35 players just after Saturday’s URC final among Stormers and Munster in Cape Town.
This will be followed a fortnight later by a final squad for this year’s Rugby Championship, exactly where the Boks take on Argentina, Australia and New Zealand.
South Africa open the defence of their Globe Cup against Scotland on September ten in Marseille.