Springbok captain Siya Kolisi will be out of action for four weeks following a knee injury sustained during South Africa’s shocking 38-22 defeat to Australia in Johannesburg, head coach Rassie Erasmus confirmed on Monday.
The influential flanker picked up the injury early in the second half of Saturday’s Rugby Championship opener at Ellis Park, dealing a significant blow to the world champions’ campaign.
Kolisi’s absence will see him miss not only this Saturday’s return fixture against the Wallabies in Cape Town, but also likely rules him out of the Springboks’ crucial away matches against arch-rivals New Zealand next month.
Kriel to lead in Kolisi’s absence
In the captain’s absence, outside centre Jesse Kriel will assume the leadership role for a South African team that has suffered a dramatic fall from grace in the world rankings, slipping from first to third behind New Zealand and Ireland following the weekend’s upset.
The defeat was particularly galling for the Springboks, who raced to a commanding 22-point lead within the opening 18 minutes before completely capitulating. Australia responded with six tries to secure their first victory in Johannesburg since 1963.
Multiple injury concerns
Erasmus revealed that Kolisi is not the only casualty from the Ellis Park disaster. Three other starters from Saturday’s match will also miss the Cape Town encounter: wings Edwill van der Merwe (ankle) and Kurt-Lee Arendse (knee), along with flanker Pieter-Steph du Toit, who is following concussion protocols.
Speaking at a press conference in Cape Town, a clearly frustrated Erasmus didn’t mince words about his team’s performance.
“Obviously, everyone is ashamed, no one is proud of themselves,” the coach said. “It only strengthens our cohesion and our desire to do well. You do not learn anything from a match like that – when you see what we sometimes handed them on a plate.”
Australia also hit by injuries
The Wallabies haven’t escaped unscathed from their historic victory. Wing Dylan Pietsch suffered a broken jaw, while prop James Slipper is dealing with concussion issues, forcing both players to return home early.
Coach Joe Schmidt has moved quickly to address the casualties, calling up wing-centre Filipo Daugunu, centre Hamish Stewart, and prop Rhys van Nek as replacements.
Australia will be hoping captain and number eight Harry Wilson, who scored two tries in Johannesburg before limping off injured, will recover in time for Saturday’s Cape Town showdown.
The injury to Kolisi compounds what was already a nightmare start to South Africa’s Rugby Championship defense. The world champions now face the prospect of rebuilding team chemistry and leadership structure while trying to salvage their campaign.
With New Zealand and Ireland now ahead of them in the world rankings, the Springboks will need to demonstrate the resilience that has served them well in recent years to overcome this early setback.
The return match against Australia in Cape Town on Saturday will provide the first test of the team’s ability to bounce back from both the crushing defeat and the loss of their inspirational captain.
ALSO READ: Wallabies stage historic win against mighty Springboks
