A new injury worry has emerged for Springbok captain Siya Kolisi following an early exit from his ‘comeback’ match.
After weeks sidelined due to a hand injury requiring surgery, Siya Kolisi made his return for Racing 92 this weekend. Unfortunately, Kolisi’s comeback was cut short just 22 minutes into the game for his French team, after he seemed to injure his right ankle during the round of 16 match.
There is now a period of anxious waiting to determine the duration of Kolisi’s potential absence as the 2024 Test season approaches.
THE LATEST KOLISI SETBACK FOLLOWS MIXED INJURY UPDATES FOR THE SPRINGBOKS
Recent reports indicate that Malcolm Marx, the world-renowned hooker, is on track for a comeback for the Test against Wales at Twickenham on 22 June.
Marx has been recuperating from a severe knee injury incurred during a World Cup training session last year and has not played since. Although he is expected to recover in time for the Test season, he will have had no game time before the opening match and will need to be gradually reintegrated.
In other news, Deon Fourie, a versatile forward, is likely to miss the July series due to a knee injury sustained while playing for the Stormers in the Champions Cup. “It could be his season,” mentioned Stormers coach John Dobson, expressing hope that Fourie’s anterior cruciate ligament isn’t damaged but acknowledging the severity of the injury.
CONFIRMED FIXTURES FOR 2024:
- Saturday, 22 June: SA vs Wales (Twickenham, London)
- Saturday, 6 July: SA vs Ireland (Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria)
- Saturday, 13 July: SA vs Ireland (Hollywoodbets Kings Park, Durban)
- Saturday, 20 July: SA vs Portugal (Toyota Stadium, Bloemfontein)
- Saturday, 10 August: Australia vs SA (Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane)
- Saturday, 17 August: Australia vs SA (Optus Stadium, Perth)
- Saturday, 31 August: SA vs New Zealand (Emirates Airline Park, Johannesburg)
- Saturday, 7 September: SA vs New Zealand (DHL Stadium, Cape Town)
- Saturday, 21 September: Argentina vs SA (venue TBC)
- Saturday, 28 September: SA vs Argentina (Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit)
- Saturday, 10 November: SA vs Scotland (Murrayfield, Edinburgh)
- 16/17 November: England vs SA (Twickenham, London – date TBC)
*A report by French media outlet Midi Olympique suggests a match against France on 2 November.
The Springboks’ 2024 calendar has been expanded to include a rematch with Scotland from last year’s World Cup pool match, comfortably won by South Africa. This adds to an already exciting Test schedule, featuring 12 fixtures for the Springboks in 2024, culminating in a November end-of-year tour match against England, set for the 16th or 17th, following the game against Scotland.
