ReutersMay 26, 2023, 07:29 AM2 Minute Study
Springboks captain Siya Kolisi sustained a knee injury when playing for the Sharks and is in a fitness race ahead of the 2023 Rugby Globe Cup.David Rogers/Getty Pictures
South Africa are confident captain Siya Kolisi will be match for the Globe Cup right after undergoing knee surgery final month and will give him as a lot time as attainable 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 nicely and did not play by way of 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 just before our departure and then he played in the game we played against Japan in Japan two weeks just before the start out of the tournament,” Nienaber told a press conference on Thursday.
“We’ve been by way of this just before and we know that Siya can play at a Globe Cup and do a great job of top the group as that was what occurred in 2019.”
South Africa Director of Rugby Rassie Erasmus stated he hoped that Kolisi could possibly even be prepared for one particular of the warm-up tests against Argentina, Wales and New Zealand.
Kolisi will be provided suitable up till the tournament to prove his fitness for the reason that of his very important part with the side. “He’s our captain,” stated Erasmus. “It really is for the reason that he is captain that we are carrying out this. Even if he misses the initially 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 involving 32 and 35 players right after Saturday’s URC final involving 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.