Erasmus rests fit Kolisi for first All Blacks Test to reward in-form De Villiers

Rassie Erasmus has confirmed that Siya Kolisi was fit to face the All Blacks in Johannesburg but was deliberately left out of the Springboks’ starting XV for the first Test of the Greatest Rivalry series at Ellis Park. Paul de Villiers, 23, wears the No.6 jersey instead, with Pieter-Steph du Toit named as captain.

Kolisi had been a doubt after suffering a hamstring injury during South Africa’s 17-10 victory over Argentina earlier this month, with fears he could miss a significant portion of the four-Test series. Erasmus had offered an encouraging update earlier in the week, indicating both Kolisi and loosehead prop Ox Nche were in contention — and while Nche has been named in the starting XV, the 100-cap skipper will not feature from the off.

Erasmus cited two reasons for the decision: a cautious approach to managing Kolisi’s return across a demanding series, and a desire to reward De Villiers for his consistent performances since making his international debut in July.

“Siya trained well with us this week, and although we could have selected him for this clash, we thought it would be best to select Paul for this weekend’s game,” Erasmus said. “We are playing four Tests against the All Blacks and Paul has been playing well, so we are excited to give him a chance this weekend in what will be his first Test match against New Zealand, while taking a precautionary approach to Siya’s return.”

Erasmus added that selection would be assessed on a week-by-week basis throughout the series. “We have a solid group of players, and each one of them deserves their places in the squad, so we will approach team selection week by week.”

The series opener against Dave Rennie’s All Blacks represents the first of four meetings between the two sides, making Kolisi’s availability for the remaining Tests a significant factor in how the Springboks manage the workload of one of their most influential players.