Seriously injured in his knee last April, the iconic South African captain recovered in time to participate in this World Cup. A first victory for the leader of the Springboks who face Ireland this Saturday for their third match of the competition.
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More than just a rugby player, Siya Kolisi is an icon in South Africa. The third row is not only the first black player to become captain of his selection, he is also the one who led his team towards the world title in 2019in Japan, while no one was betting on the Springboks a few months earlier.
In a country still deeply divided by the legacy of apartheid, Siya Kolisi is a symbol of the rainbow nation. Born in 1991, in Zwide, a township in Port Elizabeth, to parents who were still teenagers, nothing predestined this kid raised by his grandmother to enter the pantheon of South African rugby, a sport considered to be “reserved for whites”. », alongside François Pienaar and John Smit, the other two Springbok captains to have lifted the William Webb Ellis Cup.
Spotted at the age of 12, Siya Kolisi then obtained a scholarship to Gray High School in Port Elizabeth. “ When you come from a township, where you don’t have much, and you come to Grey, where you have everything you want to become what you want, you start to see things in the big picture “, he explained on this subject.
In 2013, he was selected for the first time with the Springboks and quickly established himself as an indisputable starter before making history by being named captain in 2018.
Serious injury
So when he seriously injured his knee last April, there was no question for the South Africans of imagining participating in the competition without their captain. Operated for a ligament graft, Siya Kolisi begins a race against time to return to the group on time.
He was predicted to have at least six months off the field, which was far too long to hope to participate in the World Cup. Ultimately, the flanker will be back in just over four months. A feat achieved at the cost of express rehabilitation.
“We made a detailed plan for him to play again sixteen weeks laterexplained the newspaper The Team Jimmy Wright, specialist in “re-athletics” at the Sharks, Siya Kolisi’s club based in Durban [il rejoindra le club du Racing 92 basé à Paris à l’issue de la compétition, NDLR]. He worked hard, five to six hours a day. We first took care that he did not lose his physical condition. After two weeks, he ditched the crutches and started working his upper body again. The fourth week, he was on a bike, the fifth, he touched the ball a little, the seventh, it was leg strength training. What the others do after twelve. »
Miraculous return
And the miracle took place. In mid-August, Kolisi played his first match with the Springboks since his injury, as a starter and captain of the team against Wales. On the 25th, he took part in his team’s historic 35-7 victory against New Zealand in a preparation match in London. And on September 10, for South Africa’s entry into the World Cup against Scotland, the third row is indeed back on the field.
Left to rest by his coach Jacques Nienaber for the second match of the South Africans won handily 76 to 0 against Romania, Siya Kolisi will return for the summit meeting this Saturday, September 23 which will pit the Springboks against Ireland by Jonathan Sexton. Both teams are among the favorites for the final victory and the outcome of this match could be decisive for the rest of the competition.
In the event of a defeat against the XV du Trèfle, the South Africans would have every chance of crossing paths with XV of France, another contender for the title, for a shock that promises to be explosive. But nothing to scare Siya Kolisi. The third row has come a long way and he is well placed to know that with will, anything is possible, like becoming the first South African captain to win the World Cup twice.
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