Kolisi puts procedure on the back burner to be part of big All Blacks clash

There was no hesitation from Springbok captain Siya Kolisi about his readiness to play in the second Rugby Championship Test against the All Blacks in Cape Town on Saturday afternoon.

Kolisi has a fractured nose and had the option to ‘reset’ it, as head coach Rassie Erasmus explained on Thursday, which would’ve taken him out of the game for about three weeks.

But because he regards this duel in the DHL Stadium as very important, especially in the context of the Boks’ title ambitions, he will lead the team out on the field and postpone the procedure to fix his nose.

Should the world champions pull off a win on Saturday, Kolisi will have the luxury of sitting out one or both Tests against Argentina later this month to ‘reset’ his nose and recover. South Africa will then have an almost unassailable lead over the rest of the teams in the tournament.

Your #Springboks team to face New Zealand in Cape Town tomorrow 💚💛#ForeverGreenForeverGold pic.twitter.com/Cyghexzx27

— Springboks (@Springboks) September 6, 2024

Erasmus confirmed on Thursday that the Bok captain did not miss a training session and according to their selection policy he was still eligible for the clash.

“The question to Siya on Sunday after all the scans was: ‘will you be half-hearted going into contact because your nose is sore and swollen and your cheekbone is blown out?’.

He said: ‘No, let’s go.’ Internally, we selected the side with him starting but with Marco van Staden’s name next to his. But then, on Monday evening, he did all the contact sessions, and on Tuesday, he went right through and today, I can tell you ...

“The only problem would’ve been if he was hesitant, but it (his nose) can’t break further. It has to be put back in place.

“He might look like Kwagga Smith (after the game),” Erasmus joked.

According to Erasmus, the doctor told Kolisi he could wait two weeks and then put his nose back in place.

The Bok guru added that they decided not to cite All Black player Sam Cane, who made the tackle on the captain, after the match because they didn’t see it as malicious.

It’s the same Cane who copped a red card in the 2023 Rugby World Cup final in France against the Springboks.

“Honesty from the players about whether they can play and deliver fully on what we expect from them is a key part of our team culture, so we have full faith in Siya to give everything on the field.”