Siya Kolisi and Kurt-Lee Arendse will miss the Springboks’ rematch against the All Blacks in Cape Town on Saturday following injuries sustained during their recent 31-27 victory at Ellis Park.
Arendse was knocked out early in the second half while attempting a tackle on All Blacks centre Rieko Ioane and was quickly taken off for a Head Impact Assessment (HIA).
Shortly thereafter, Kolisi suffered a suspected fractured cheekbone from a tackle by All Blacks flank Sam Cane. Although referee Andrew Brace informed Kolisi that the tackle was reviewed by the TMO and deemed only worthy of a penalty, Kolisi, who had a swollen right cheek, was substituted at the start of the final quarter.
At the post-match press conference, Rassie Erasmus confirmed that Kolisi would be examined for a possible fractured cheekbone. Erasmus, noting Kolisi’s appearance, remarked, “The doc will definitely have to look at him; he doesn’t normally look like this. He looks a bit better.”
Erasmus also revealed that Arendse is suffering from a concussion and will be unavailable for the second Test at Cape Town Stadium in the Rugby Championship.
In Kolisi’s absence, potential candidates for the captaincy include Bongi Mbonambi, Eben Etzebeth, or Pieter-Steph du Toit.
On a positive note, Makazole Mapimpi and Canan Moodie are expected to rejoin the Springbok squad after scoring tries in the Currie Cup, adding extra depth to the wing positions
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