Kolisi back to lead Boks against Wales as Etzebeth rested

Siya Kolisi‘s miraculous recovery from a serious knee injury was confirmed on Tuesday when he was included in the Springbok team for Saturday’s Rugby World Cup warm-up match against Wales in Cardiff. The flanker will also lead the side.

Also back in the team, as expected, are prop Ox Nche and scrumhalf Jaden Hendrikse, both of whom didn’t feature in the Rugby Championship, because of injury and personal reasons respectively.

This will be the defending world champions’ second warm-up match before the World Cup in France, which kicks off on 8 September.

The Boks have already played against, and beaten, Argentina in Buenos Aires, and after this weekend head to London to take on the All Blacks at Twickenham in their final warm-up game before making the trip to France.

The team to take on Wales shows 11 changes from the side that beat Argentina 10 days ago.

Some of the main selections are the following:

Malcolm Marx will start at hooker, RG Snyman and Jean Kleyn will be the lock pairing for the first time as Eben Etzebeth gets a break, Jasper Wiese will play eighthman and at the back Hendrikse partners Manie Libbok in the 9/10 pairing, while out wide the wings are Cheslin Kolbe and Canan Moodie.

There is also a six-two bench-split, where Nche will play from along with, among others, Marco van Staden, Duane Vermeulen and backs Grant Williams and Damian Willemse.

“We have two Tests left before we begin our Rugby World Cup campaign and our focus now is to start building momentum and continuity so that we can peak at the right time for our opening game against Scotland in just under four weeks,” said coach Jacques Nienaber.

“We gave most of the players in the expanded squad a run in the last four matches and they are now battle hardened and we know anyone in this squad can step in and rise to the challenge whenever they are selected.”

Kolisi and Nche

Nienaber expressed his delight that Kolisi and Nche had recovered from their injuries.

“Siya and Ox have been working extremely hard on their rehabilitation over the course of several weeks, and it’s fantastic that everything worked out according to plan to allow us to select them for this match.

“They have two matches to build up their match fitness before the World Cup, and although it will be important to manage their load in the match, it’s vital that they return to the field as they are key players in our set-up.”

Springbok team to face Wales in Cardiff:

Willie le Roux, Canan Moodie, Jesse Kriel, Damian de Allende, Cheslin Kolbe, Manie Libbok, Jaden Hendrikse, Jasper Wiese, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Siya Kolisi (capt), RG Snyman, Jean Kleyn (Munster), Frans Malherbe, Malcolm Marx, Steven Kitshoff. Bench: Bongi Mbonambi, Ox Nche, Vincent Koch, Franco Mostert, Marco van Staden, Duane Vermeulen, Grant Williams, Damian Willemse