Siya Kolisi is facing an anxious wait on the extent of a hamstring injury sustained during South Africa's 17-10 Rugby Championship win over Argentina in Buenos Aires on Saturday, with the Greatest Rivalry series against the All Blacks now imminent.
Kolisi lasted just 24 minutes at the Estadio José Amalfitani before leaving the field, watching the remainder of the match from the sideline as tries from Edwill van der Merwe and Cameron Hanekom, along with contributions from Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Handré Pollard, secured the narrow victory.
"I hurt my hamstring again, unfortunately. So, I'll go for a scan and see how far it is," Kolisi said at full-time. "It is really tough, but I can't be sad about it. There is nothing I can do now, other than to go and have a scan and then see how long I'm out for."
Rassie Erasmus offered a cautiously positive assessment, noting it was the opposite hamstring to a previous injury and that the prognosis appeared manageable. "He injured his hamstring, the other hamstring, but it doesn't look too bad," Erasmus said, while also highlighting Kolisi's effectiveness during his brief time on the field. "I thought Siya was really dynamic with his carries and his clean-outs."
Kolisi acknowledged how close the contest was, crediting Argentina's growth as a force in the southern hemisphere. "We have a huge amount of respect for them, and we could easily have lost this game. Home or away, they're one of the toughest teams we play all year."
The squad returns to South Africa in two groups — one on Sunday, one on Monday — to join up with teammates already in Johannesburg preparing for the three-Test home series against New Zealand, followed by a fourth Test in Baltimore.