Siya Kolisi will captain South Africa after being declared fit following a hamstring strain suffered against Argentina in Buenos Aires. His return provides a massive mental and physical boost to the Springboks as they look to level the series following a disappointing opening defeat.
Reflecting on his recovery, Kolisi admitted that overcoming the psychological hurdles was the toughest part of his rehabilitation.
"I feel good and strong; the toughest part was more the mental battle," Kolisi said. "You know you’re always going to heal, so it’s more the mental side that is challenging because you don’t know in which game you’re going to be back. Fortunately, I had good support from the coaching staff, my teammates, and our medical team, so I’m really happy to be back and able to play this game."
The Springboks find themselves in a familiar high-stakes scenario. Kolisi noted that the squad’s exposure to intense pressure during the British & Irish Lions Series and recent Rugby World Cups gives them the tools to handle the occasion. However, the skipper was quick to point out that past achievements mean nothing without immediate execution.
"Experience means nothing if you don’t learn from the mistakes you made the week before," Kolisi warned. "We need to play and execute our game plan well. When we watched last week’s game, we saw the opportunities we missed, and if we had converted those, things might have been very different."
The Test matches will also serve as a celebration of longevity and excellence for two of South Africa's most dependable forwards. Pieter-Steph du Toit will earn his 100th Test cap, while loosehead prop Ox Nche will run out for his 50th.
Kolisi credited the coaching staff's controversial but highly effective player rotation system for managing athlete longevity and building a squad capable of playing for a higher purpose.
"Over the past few years, they’ve used more than 50 players in rotation," Kolisi explained. "Some guys are older than others, and playing someone week in and week out isn’t going to help with longevity. We’re not only playing for each other, but we are playing for the whole of South Africa, and what's best for the country is the mindset we have as a group."
