VIDEO: Kolisi draws inspiration from fellow Boks' injuries

INTERVIEW: Springbok captain Siyamthanda Kolisi is drawing inspiration from how some of his teammates have recovered from serious injuries, as he continues his rehabilitation after knee surgery.

Kolisi is currently on a stringent rehabilitation regime after undergoing surgery at the end of April to repair a partial tear to the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee – an injury he suffered while playing for the Sharks against Ireland’s Munster.

The Bok captain said players like Rudolph Snyman, Handre Pollard and Pieter-Steph du Toit have gone through similar knee injuries in the past and being around them helps him to keep motivated.

“It is really good to do the rehabilitation here [[with the Boks], because there are guys like RG [Snyman], Handre [Pollard] and Pieter-Steph [du Toit] who have done their knees as well.

"It’s been really good,” Kolisi added.

(Article continues below the Kolisi interview ...)

In 2021 Snyman made his long-awaited return when he featured off the bench during Munster’s win over the Stormers in Round Two of the United Rugby Championship but, nine minutes after coming on against Scarlets the following week, the same knee ligaments gave way and he was forced off with a season-ending injury.

Pollard sustained a knee injury during the Springboks’ Rugby Championship campaign last year, which kept him on the sidelines for a lengthy period and Du Toit has had two knee operations amidst a brutal catalogue of injuries.

This week the captain said it was almost Déjà vu being back in Pretoria, preparing for another World Cup and recovering from a serious knee injury.

The same scenario played off in May 2019, when he got injured while playing for the Stormers - an injury that saw him miss the 2019 Rugby Championship.

However, he recovered in time for some World Cup warm-up games and got better as the tournament progressed in Japan.

“I’m progressing each week and I have steadily been able to do new things," the Bok skipper said.

"I’m confident with how things are going.

"Hopefully, I will be able to play in one or two of the World Cup warm-up games,” a smiling Kolisi told a media briefing.

“It sucks, it’s not nice, but I’ve been here before.

"It’s been good to feel supported like this.

"I am working hard and it’s great to be working in a team environment.

“It helps a lot with my mental side as well, just to see the work that is happening.

"If I wasn’t here, I would actually miss out on a lot.”