Cape Town — The Springboks will give captain Siya Kolisi enough time to prove his match fitness for the World Cup, even if that means he will only start playing during their campaign to defend their title.
Jacques Nienaber, Springbok coach, and Rassie Erasmus, SA Rugby's Director of Rugby, provided an update on Kolisi on Thursday saying they are happy with where he is at with his recovery from a knee injury he sustained in the United Rugby Championship (URC) with the Sharks.
Kolisi tore his anterior cruciate ligaments (ACL) and underwent surgery in Cape Town at the end of April in a bid to recover in time for the tournament in France. The Springboks start their World Cup campaign on September 10 against Scotland.
IOL Sport understands that a projected return to play for Kolisi will be by the second or third pool match in France.
"Where he has to be from a recovery point of view, he is on track. He is hitting his markers currently," Nienaber said on Thursday.
"There will be a couple of markers on specific dates where he needs to be and he needs to tick those boxes. But currently, he is on track with his rehab.
"A date for when he will be back on the field will be determined medically as he is ticking his boxes. If he ticks everything, and maybe the question is do we think he will make the World Cup, yes we do."
Nienaber added that there is no deadline for Kolisi to be back on the field looking at the World Cup. Especially after the 2019 edition, when he recovered in time from an injury and played against Argentina and Japan in his only preparation games.
"If you look at that, Siya is a guy that has done it before, we will probably give him as much time as possible.
"History has shown he is a guy that doesn't need to play in Test matches before a World Cup. He can just slot in and produce performances."
Erasmus said the Springboks won't replace Kolisi as captain and will only look at stand-in captains.
Flyhalf Handre Pollard, prop Steven Kitshoff, lock Eben Etzebeth, centre Lukhanyo Am are guys who can wear the captain's armband, while Erasmus mentioned Damian de Allende as a possible stand-in.
"We are hoping that Siya can play in one of those three warm-up matches. Even if he is not 100% ready for the Scotland Test, it's a long way to the final of the World Cup.
"And being our captain, and having been there and done that, he's maybe the one guy you can say the match before the World Cup. He is the kind of guy that can do it like in the previous one."
IOL Sport