Rassie Erasmus Shares Worrying Updates After Naming Springboks Squad to Face All Blacks in Cape Town

• Springboks coach Rassie Erasmus revealed the team is dealing with several injury concerns ahead of Saturday's second Test
• The team captain, Siya Kolisi, is racing against time to prove his fitness after battling a hamstring strain before the match
• Star wing Cheslin Kolbe remains a doubt, but Erasmus hinted a late call could still be made if he recovers well

Springboks head coach Rassie Erasmus has confirmed the team could make a last-minute adjustment to their squad ahead of the second Test against the All Blacks, scheduled for Saturday at 17:10.

Speaking after announcing the squad for the match, Erasmus flagged a number of injury concerns that may yet force his hand before kick-off.

Kolisi races to prove fitness

Captain Siya Kolisi is the camp's most prominent fitness concern. The loose forward has been battling a hamstring strain and is working to prove his availability through training this week. He has been listed alongside Paul de Villiers as cover, but should he be cleared, Kolisi would return to the No 6 jersey and reclaim the captaincy from Pieter-Steph du Toit, who has been leading the side in his absence.

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Erasmus was clear about the value Kolisi brings, particularly in areas where the Springboks struggled in the first Test at Ellis Park.

"Siya has got some strengths, one of them being the attacking breakdown. He's really good at sorting that out for us, which was the area we struggled with (at Ellis Park)," Erasmus said.

"There were lots of times that we played badly, not because they did anything illegal, but we couldn't get the ball away out of the breakdown when we were in really good attacking positions. Siya's really good at that."

Erasmus also highlighted the defensive pairing between Kolisi and Du Toit, which the coaching staff refer to as "the gates."

"Him and Pieter-Steph together, we call it 'the gates' – they're well organised in the defensive sets in the gates. That was definitely something which we lacked," he added.

Kolbe, Dixon, Williams and Moodie also sidelined

Wing Cheslin Kolbe is among four additional players on the injury list. Erasmus acknowledged a late change involving Kolbe remained a possibility, though he described it as unlikely and noted it would run counter to the team's usual policy of only selecting players confirmed fit at the start of the week.

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"It might be a late change with Cheslin. If he really recovers well, we might make a change there, but at this stage I don't think it will be," he said.

Loose forward Ben-Jason Dixon is managing concussion symptoms sustained last week, scrumhalf Grant Williams picked up an ankle injury during the first Test, and utility back Canan Moodie suffered a hamstring strain in the same match.

Source: Briefly News