Boks’ goal now is to get Kolisi ‘battle-hardened and sharp’ before World Cup start

It was an expected, but a massive boost to the Springboks when it was confirmed on Tuesday that captain fantastic Siya Kolisi would be returning from injury to lead the side in their World Cup warm-up match against Wales at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff on Saturday.

Just a few months ago Kolisi suffered a serious knee injury playing for the Sharks in the United Rugby Championship, which ended up needing surgery and threatening to rule him out of the World Cup, only for a miraculous recovery to see him ready to play a few weeks before the showpiece event.

ALSO READ: Timeline – Siya Kolisi’s long road back from a serious knee injury

The Bok management have been fully vindicated in their belief that Kolisi would prove his fitness before the tournament, while they also refused to remove him as the team’s captain, with a number of stand-ins having done duty so far this season.

Hard work

Bok coach Jacques Nienaber admitted at the team’s press conference on Tuesday ahead of the matc against Wales on Saturday that it was a testament to the hard work and dedication of Kolisi that he could return to play before the competition kicks off in France.

“It is nice to have Siya back. He has worked incredibly hard and deserves to be back. It has been a long recovery and the amount of effort and sacrifice that he put in to be ready now, this is a reward for him to be able to play this weekend,” said Nienaber.

“It is great for the team to have him back because he has been an integral part of it over the last six years that we have been together.

“So it will be nice to give him some game exposure over the next two games to make sure that he is battle-hardened and sharp for the first World Cup match against Scotland.”

Hendrikse returns

Scrumhalf Jaden Hendrikse also makes a return to the Bok side having not featured yet this season, first due to injury and then due to a family bereavement, and it will be important for both him and Kolisi to get as much out of the Welsh match as they can.

“It wasn’t necessarily going to be this game (Kolisi’s return). Whenever he was ready we were going to play him. It’s the same with Jaden, he has also come back from a long term injury and other circumstances,” explained Nienaber.

“So whenever they were ready we were happy to play them and they are both now ready and fit to go for this game. If Siya hadn’t been ready for this game he would have played in the next.

“It is important for us to get these guys back onto the field. The more games you have before the start of the World Cup the better. So it is nice to have them both available for the final two warm-up games.”

Despite the need to get good game time into Kolisi and Hendrikse, as well as prop Ox Nche who also returns from injury to play off the bench, the Bok management won’t be risking pushing them too far and will replace them as soon as they feel they need to.

“As long as they stay productive we will let them play. As soon as they lose their productivity we will probably substitute them,” admitted Nienaber.