Springboks coach Rassie Erasmus hinted at more changes ahead of next Saturday’s Rugby Championship match against the All Blacks in Cape Town, while also sweating on captain Siya Kolisi’s fitness.
Kolisi’s face, especially under his left eye, looked badly swollen after Saturday’s gripping encounter against the New Zealanders at Ellis Park, with Erasmus suggesting that his skipper may have a facial fracture.
It appears to be a similar injury Makazole Mapimpi suffered in the 2023 Rugby World Cup against Tonga, which saw him miss the knockout matches, sitting on the sidelines for more than month.
Kolisi is likely to miss the next match at Cape Town Stadium, but could be out for the remainder of the Boks’ Rugby Championship games home and away, against Argentina’s Los Pumas if Erasmus’ “prognosis” is correct.
The Springboks transcend rugby in South Africa and Siya knows it 👏
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One player that will definitely not be running out in Cape Town is wing Kurt-Lee Arendse after the Paarl-born flyer suffered a concussion in the second half against the All Blacks.
“It looks like a fracture. I’m not a medical doctor, but I think it’s a fracture,” Erasmus said at the post-match presser.
“The doc will have to look at Siya ... he doesn’t normally look like this! Kurt-Lee is concussed.”
Erasmus has regularly chopped and changed his team this season, and it seems like there could be more changes leading up to Saturday’s match in the Cape.
The Springboks’ 12-point lead at the top of the Rugby Championship standings does give them a buffer to try and give some of the older players a rest and give the youngsters a crack against the All Blacks.
The Springboks made 10 changes from one Test to the other during their Australian leg of the Rugby Championship, winning the second Test rather easily despite giving a few newbies a chance to play.
The All Blacks are a different proposition altogether, but it looks like Erasmus will stick to his guns.
“The Rugby Championship is important and we would love to win it, but we will try a few new players again next week. Hopefully they can make it,” Erasmus said.
Two youngsters that were thrown into the deep end at Ellis Park came through with flying colours, while a few others off the bench also impressed.
Lock Ruan Nortje had a decent game in a re-jigged Springbok row, while No 8 Elrigh Louw made a massive impact off the bench.
What a game, and what a performance from Sacha 😍
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In the backs, fullback Aphelele Fassi and flyhalf Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu caught the eye with two really top performances in the pressure-cooker environment against the old enemy.
“We wanted those guys to experience this level, that’s how you learn ... They showed physically they are up for it, and mentally they will only get better,” said Erasmus.
“Fassi and Sacha came through with flying colours. That is not to say Handre [Pollard] is out of it, or Manie [Libbok] is out of it. We have to keep building the squad.
“So for us, it’s big ... for players to step up to from a Tier 2 nation to a Tier 1 nation, and then the All Blacks.”
@JohnGoliath82