Rugby
Boks dealt quadruple injury blow for Cape Town Test─── MORGAN PIEK 08:49 Tue, 19 Aug 2025
The Springboks have been hit with a quadruple injury blow ahead of their crucial Rugby Championship second-round clash against the Wallabies in Cape Town on Saturday.
Captain Siya Kolisi, flanker Pieter-Steph du Toit, wingers Kurt-Lee Arendse and Edwill van der Merwe have all been ruled out of the must-win Test in the Mother City due to injury.
Kolisi and Arendse are sidelined with knee injuries, while World Player of the Year Du Toit is nursing a concussion. Van der Merwe injured his ankle during last weekend’s 38-22 defeat to Australia in Johannesburg.
Pieter-Steph du Toit. Photo: Morgan Piek
While the injuries are a setback, the back-to-back World Champions boast world-class depth, and it’s simply a matter of the next man stepping up. This week’s squad also gets a boost with the return of inside centre Damian de Allende and speedy winger Cheslin Kolbe, both back from niggles and available for selection.
Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus confirmed the injuries on Monday during a media briefing in Cape Town, adding that the experience of two-time Rugby World Cup winners De Allende and Kolbe will be invaluable.
“Siya and Kurt-Lee suffered knee injuries, Pieter-Steph has a concussion, and Edwill has an ankle niggle, so we’ll make a few changes to the team this week,” said Erasmus, sounding much more upbeat than he did after Saturday’s match.
“Damian de Allende and Cheslin Kolbe are back from injury, and their experience is always valuable to the team.”
Erasmus added that following their disappointing defeat at Ellis Park, the squad is now aligned and focused on setting things right.
“Everyone in the group agrees on what we need to do and what we need to get right this week. That’s our focus at training,” Erasmus said.
Cheslin Kolbe. Photo: X
“There’s still a lot of frustration and disappointment, but we know where we went wrong. They outplayed us completely, scored tries that didn’t even come from phases, and dominated us at the breakdown. We have our backs against the wall, and we know we have to make it right.”
Erasmus will name his squad for the Test on Tuesday. Besides injury replacements, a few other changes are expected ahead of the must-win game.
Saturday’s Test at Cape Town Stadium in Green Point kicks off at 17:10.
