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The battle.
Siya Kolisi has opened up on the mental battle that comes with repeated injury setbacks as the Springbok captain prepares to lead his side against the All Blacks in Cape Town.
The 35-year-old has been limited to just two appearances and 70 minutes for South Africa in 2026 due to hamstring issues, while his availability for Saturday’s second Test had also been in doubt this week.
Pieter-Steph du Toit was initially named captain with Paul de Villiers on standby before Kolisi proved his fitness.
Speaking to reporters on Friday, Kolisi was asked whether his recent setbacks had made him think about how much rugby he has left.
“I’m still young, Brannas [Deon Fourie] is older than me!” Kolisi joked.
“No, honestly, I don’t think like that at all, especially with the captaincy. I want to be in the team and I want to play. As long as God still allows me and I can recover from an injury.
“I think the injury itself is never the problem. It’s just all in your mind. The battles that you have to fight, that’s the hard part.
“You can sit there and think about those things: ‘Am I going to get the opportunity again?’”
Kolisi pointed to the remarkable injury comeback of Du Toit, who will earn his 100th Test cap against New Zealand on Saturday.
“But I look at guys like Pietie [Du Toit],” he added.
“He’s had an ACL twice. His leg was almost [amputated]. I remember sitting with him in the hospital, and tomorrow he’ll run out for his 100th Test. You draw strength from that.
“When I did my ACL, I had guys [who had] also done their ACL … Those kinds of conversations, when you have those dark moments, and you have a guy next to you who says, ‘Hey, you’ll get through’.
“But thinking about this being the last, I don’t put that in my head at all. I feel good physically. And also, if it is the last, it is the last.”
Kolisi also delivered an encouraging update on his condition ahead of the second Test.
“I’m feeling strong, and our medical team has been really good. I’m happy to be back and being able to play this game,” he said.
The Springbok skipper also explained the selfless mentality required by the rotation policy that has become a feature of Rassie Erasmus’ squad.
“It’s difficult because you want to play every game, but you have to surrender your own dreams and goals and put them aside, because we’re not only playing for each other, but we’re playing for the whole of South Africa.”
The Springboks head into Saturday’s Cape Town showdown looking to level Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series after the All Blacks claimed a 33-16 victory in the opening Test at Ellis Park.
