Springbok captain Siya Kolisi and prop Ox Nche remain doubtful for Saturday's opening Test against the All Blacks at Ellis Park, coach Rassie Erasmus confirmed on Monday.
Speaking at a media conference in Johannesburg, Erasmus said the pair were the only injury concerns in the squad but stopped short of ruling them out entirely. "The only two doubtful players are Siya and Ox, who are coming along well," Erasmus said. "I wouldn't say either is confirmed out, but if they get through training today it could go either way. Apart from those two, everybody else is available."
Kolisi left the field early during the one-off contest against Argentina in Buenos Aires earlier this month after hurting the hamstring that had kept him out of the opening three Nations Championship matches against England, Scotland and Wales. Nche suffered a knee injury in the opener against England more than a month ago.
Erasmus described both cases as niggles rather than confirmed injuries, suggesting the door remains open for their inclusion when the team is named on Thursday. Franco Mostert was reported to be looking good, easing concerns in the second row.
The Springbok coach said his team were as excited as the rest of the country about the Rugby's Greatest Rivalry Series. "We looked forward to these games as much as you did when you were asking about it while we were playing the other matches," Erasmus said. "We just couldn't talk about it out of respect for the opposition at the time."