Kolisi and Nche provide Springboks injury boost before All Blacks Test

South Africa have received a major fitness boost before the opening Test of the Greatest Rivalry tour against the All Blacks, with captain Siya Kolisi and prop Ox Nche both making positive progress in their recoveries.

Springboks assistant coach Felix Jones said there had been no significant setbacks after the pair took part in Tuesday’s training session. Their availability will be closely monitored during the rest of the week, with one further session still to come before Saturday’s match.

“Both of them were tracking pretty good,” Jones told the media on Tuesday.

“There have been no flags or issues from what we’ve seen today in training.

“We’d still have another session during the week, but there’s been nothing majorly negative coming out of either of their recovery plans,” he added.

Kolisi sustained a hamstring injury during South Africa’s match against Argentina, while Nche has been unavailable since the Nations Championship fixture against England. They were among the three major injury concerns facing the Springboks as the series approached.

Although Jones stopped short of confirming either player’s selection, his update represents a welcome development for South Africa. If both are declared fit, Kolisi and Nche are expected to be included in the starting XV for the first Test.

The match will be played at Ellis Park on Saturday, with kick-off scheduled for 17:10.

South Africa’s preparations have included discussion around the relationship between teams and match officials, with the All Blacks and Springboks agreeing that they do not need to speak to the referee before the Test.

The build-up has also featured comments from All Blacks great John Kirwan, whose “conspiracy theory” criticism of Rassie Erasmus has been described as missing the point.

Those issues have provided additional interest ahead of the opening match, but the immediate focus for the Springboks is the condition of Kolisi and Nche. Jones’ assessment means both players remain on course to be considered for selection, provided they come through the final stages of their recovery without any problems.

With the first Test rapidly approaching, South Africa still have one more training session in which to assess their progress before making final decisions on the team.