The Springboks secured a hard-fought 17-10 victory over Argentina at Estadio José Amalfitani on Saturday, but the triumph came at a cost as captain Siya Kolisi limped off with a hamstring injury after just 24 minutes. The flanker, returning from a previous hamstring problem that had kept him out of the Nations Championship fixtures, now faces a scan to assess the damage to his opposite leg.
"I hurt my hamstring again, unfortunately. So, I'll go for a scan and see how far it is," Kolisi told ESPN Scrum 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."
Head coach Rassie Erasmus struck a more optimistic tone when addressing the setback. "He injured his hamstring, the other hamstring, but it doesn't look too bad," Erasmus said, before praising Kolisi's impact during his brief outing. "I thought Siya was really dynamic with his carries and his clean-outs."
Boks grind out result in Buenos Aires
The match itself was far from the polished display South African supporters might have hoped for ahead of the Greatest Rivalry series. Tries from Edwill van der Merwe and Cameron Hanekom, supplemented by points from Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Handré Pollard, proved sufficient against a spirited Los Pumas side. The contest remained in the balance until the 83rd minute, when Argentina squandered a late opportunity to level the scores.
Erasmus acknowledged the disjointed nature of the performance, attributing it to the return of several players from long-term injury. "We looked leg-weary early on, gave up a lot of territory, and made errors which we knew were likely with seven or eight players having played very little rugby in the last six or seven weeks," he said. "It wasn't pretty and perfect. That said, we are happy with the result and with the way we ground it out."
The Springboks also lost Andre Esterhuizen to a head injury assessment in the 65th minute, adding to selection concerns. The centre had only recently returned from a fractured cheekbone sustained against England.
Selection headache looms for Ellis Park
Kolisi's injury casts doubt over his participation in the opening Test against the All Blacks at Ellis Park. The captain had been carefully managed in the build-up to the Argentina fixture, playing just one non-cap international against the Barbarians in June. His absence would force Erasmus into a reshuffle of the loose trio, with Marco van Staden having replaced him in Buenos Aires.
The result maintained the Springboks' unbeaten record this season and their position atop the World Rugby rankings heading into the four-match series against New Zealand. Yet the manner of the victory—coupled with the injury toll—suggests Erasmus faces significant work to sharpen his side before the All Blacks arrive in Johannesburg.