Siya Kolisi will return to the Springbok starting line-up for the second Test against New Zealand in Cape Town on Saturday, with Rassie Erasmus confirming the skipper's availability after the Boks went down 16-33 to the All Blacks in the series-opener at Ellis Park.
Kolisi has managed just 24 minutes of Test rugby this season — he missed the first three Rugby Championship matches against England, Scotland and Wales with a hamstring injury, then lasted less than half an hour against Argentina in Buenos Aires before being forced off. Paul de Villiers filled the No 6 role at Ellis Park before being replaced by Marco van Staden, and Erasmus was complimentary about the performance. "I thought Paul played really well. I know Siya is back next week," he said.
Erasmus was also cautiously optimistic about Cheslin Kolbe, who limped off in the second half, describing the issue as cramp rather than a structural concern.
The defeat was compounded by a cascade of disruptions that effectively ended the Boks' chances of a comeback. Kurt-Lee Arendse was removed early after a citing issue — "his mouth got pinged," in Erasmus's words — which forced André Esterhuizen, initially intended as a loose forward replacement, into the centres. Jesse Kriel shifted to the wing out of position, and when Kolbe went off, Cobus Reinach moved to scrumhalf with Grant Williams covering the wing.
The disruption worsened when both Reinach and Van Staden were yellow-carded in quick succession late in the match. Erasmus was blunt about what that meant: "It's impossible to attack without a nine and without a flanker, so it was a lost cause."