Springbok captain Siya Kolisi back at training
Springbok captain Siya Kolisi was back at Western Province training on Monday while the national team headed to New Zealand to face the All Blacks.
Western Province meet the Lions in a round three Currie Cup clash at Newlands on Saturday.
In what has become a critical game for the Cape side after they lost 32-27 to the Sharks last weekend‚ having Kolisi and fellow Springbok Dillyn Leyds back at training was a boost.
Kolisi participated in some of the forward training sessions but it’s still unclear whether he will play at Newlands on Saturday‚ or just provide moral support to the team through the week.
Kolisi suffered a knee injury in the latter stages of Super Rugby‚ which effectively ruled him out of the Rugby Championship.
The Bok skipper chose a conservative approach to treatment‚ choosing to slowly rehabilitated his ligaments through rest‚ wearing a brace and physiotherapy rather than surgery.
At the weekend he assisted the Boks as a water carrier and tactical messenger during their 35-17 win over the Wallabies at Ellis Park. He ran comfortably and wasn’t wearing the brace.
“Siya Dillyn Leyds and Sergeal Petersen all trained with us today‚” assistant coach Dawie Snyman said.
“Siya looks good and he brought a lot of energy to the camp but we will wait and see if he plays against the Lions or not.
“Either way‚ it’s great to have his energy around the camp. He will give input in other ways‚ from analysis to boosting the team and if he doesn’t play on Saturday he will carry water and supply support in that way.
“We are still waiting to hear from the Springbok medical staff what their exact plan with him over the coming weeks will be. We have a bye after this game.”
Snyman and the squad were left pondering how they lost to the Sharks after topping all the major stats in the game.
After the match head coach John Dobson question his team’s attitude and passion but closer analysis also showed that there were several poor options taken in positive positions.
The Sharks scored one intercept try and two others from Western Province errors.
“We had 65% possession and 62% territory so the defeat comes down to the individual mistakes and decisions we made‚” Snyman said.
“We try to encourage the players to keep the ball alive and play positively‚ but it has to be balanced with good decision-making.
“Players have to consider whether they are in control of contact‚ or if they have the right type of support around them when making offloads.
“As coaches we have to create more scenarios in training where they have to make these decisions.”