Springbok captain Siya Kolisi has made an impressive recovery from a facial injury, but his decision to delay treatment for a nose fracture until after facing the All Blacks this weekend in Cape Town has raised eyebrows. Kolisi sustained the injury during South Africa's victory at Ellis Park but chose to play through the pain, prioritizing his team's effort to secure the Castle Lager Rugby Championship title.

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Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus clarified the nature of Kolisi’s injury, stating that while initial concerns pointed to a cheek fracture, it was ultimately diagnosed as a fractured nose. Kolisi had two options: either undergo immediate treatment, which would sideline him for three weeks, or delay the procedure until after the match against New Zealand, allowing him to continue playing. Kolisi, determined to support his team in this crucial game, opted for the latter.

"I don't want to pretend I'm a medical expert," Erasmus said. "But Siya's nose needs to be reset. He can either get it fixed now and miss three weeks or wait two weeks and have it reset then. The game this weekend is massive, especially against the All Blacks in Cape Town, and everyone wants to be part of it."

Kolisi’s decision left some of his teammates, such as Marco van Staden, disappointed as they missed opportunities to feature in the squad. However, Kolisi’s leadership and desire to help his team have been praised.

The incident that led to Kolisi's injury, a head-on-head collision with All Blacks captain Sam Cane, sparked controversy, particularly since Cane had been red-carded in the World Cup final. Despite the severity of the injury, the Springboks chose not to cite Cane. Erasmus explained that the decision was rooted in mutual respect between the teams, reflecting a deeper connection developed over the years.

"Sam didn’t intend to hurt Siya," Erasmus added. "He apologised, and we understood that it wasn’t malicious. Sometimes things don’t go your way, but we felt a yellow card or a penalty would have sufficed."

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