Springbok captain Siya Kolisi is set for a spell on the sidelines after a late injury ruled him out of the Sharks’ emphatic win over Munster, writes MORNÉ ESBEN.
Kolisi was initially named in the starting XV for last Saturday’s clash, but a calf injury sustained during training forced his withdrawal. Phepsi Buthelezi stepped in at openside flank, while Nick Hatton shifted to No 8.
Sharks coach JP Pietersen confirmed on Thursday that Kolisi will also miss Friday night’s encounter against Cardiff –and potentially more fixtures to follow.
“He’s got a calf problem. He won’t be ready for next week, but we’ll see how it goes week by week. He feels good, but then some days he doesn’t feel so good. I don’t know what kind of calf [injury] it is, but we’ll look at it week by week and see how it goes.”
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Pietersen is also wary of Cardiff’s recent dominance in this fixture, with the Welsh side winning three of the last four meetings between the teams.
However, the Sharks boss is confident his side can rise to the challenge at Kings Park.
“We know it’s going to be a pressure game,” he said. “There’s going to be a kicking battle and there’s going to be pressure, so we’ll need to keep our discipline.
“And because of the kicking game, it’s going to come down to the set-piece because we know there are going to be knock-ons, which means scrums. So we’ve got to be good at the set-piece too.”
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Consistency remains a key focus for Pietersen, with the Sharks having struggled at times to back up strong performances.
“Rugby is all about cohesion,” he said. “The longer you play with certain combinations and cohesiveness, the more it helps when you’re under pressure.
“We always want to keep consistency within the team, but sometimes that becomes hard when you have your Springboks unavailable for the whole month of February. They’re a big part of our squad, so it’ll always be a disruption.”
Photo: Steve Haag Sports/Gallo Images
The post JP gives Siya injury update appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
Springbok captain Siya Kolisi is set for a spell on the sidelines after a late injury ruled him out of the Sharks’ emphatic win over Munster.
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