Springboks captain Siya Kolisi won’t be holding anything back as he marks his return from injury in the Rugby World Cup warm-up match against Wales in Cardiff.
Kolisi will make his first appearance for South Africa this year after missing the Rugby Championship through injury.
Kolisi grateful to be back
The flanker expressed his gratitude to the doctors and medical team that helped him make a miraculous recovery from the injury he sustained against Munster in the URC.
“It’s hard to sum it up,” the Bok skipper said of his journey to full recovery.
“I’m just grateful to be here and thankful to the medical teams I’ve been working with.
“They’ve been up at all hours to work with me so that it doesn’t disrupt what the team is doing, so it was a big team effort.”
The 32-year-old is thrilled to be back in the Bok mix and said that he hopes to play as long as possible against Wales.
“I just want to play and give everything, and we’ll see how long I last (on the field), he said.
“I’d like to play as long as I can.”
Wales ‘take you to dark places’
While he is eager to return from injury, Kolisi is also relishing the challenge Wales produces for the Springboks, with recent encounters between the two sides being closely fought.
“We respect Wales a lot,” he said.
“They are similar to us in many ways because they are hard-working individuals who don’t get things easy.
“They can take you to dark places, so it’s going to be a tough test.
“In the 2019 World Cup semi-final, they played very similarly to us, and in the end, one penalty goal separated the teams.”
Springboks assistant coach Mzwandile Stick echoed his skipper’s sentiments: “It’s always tough to play Wales at home. They are tough people with a high work rate, and it shows in the way they play.
“They have a few young players coming through the system, and I have no doubt they’ll want to show they deserve to be there.
“So, we are expecting a tough game. That said, the focus for us will be to make sure we build momentum with the Rugby World Cup ahead.”
‘A tough grind’
The Bok coach also pointed to the 2022 three-match series between the two sides in South Africa, which the Springboks won 2-1, and their recent performances against England as to how difficult Warren Gatland’s side is to play against.
“They gave us a run in the series last year, while they also showed against England that they are moving in the right direction,” he said.
“It’s going to be a tough grind, and we must pitch up to beat them. They are a team that knows how to play championship games, and if you don’t respect them, they can punish you.”
Wales captain Jac Morgan
Saturday’s game will mark the 46th occasion that Kolisi will captain his country in a Test match while Jac Morgan skippers his side for just the second time.
Morgan impressed with his display in the clash against England in Cardiff and earned the praise of the Bok captain.
“He’s a good leader,” Kolisi said.
“He may be 23 years old, but he has good leaders around him that will help him a lot.
“He’s the kind of guy that wants to lead by example, so I’m looking forward to the challenge of playing against him.”
READ MORE: Wales v South Africa preview: Springboks to continue Cardiff winning streak
The article Springboks captain Siya Kolisi ready to go ‘dark places’ in injury return against Wales appeared first on Planetrugby.com.
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