Eben Etzebeth suffers injury setback; Kolisi faces competition

Springbok great Eben Etzebeth hasn’t featured since his concussion against Exeter Chiefs on December 7.

According to Durban’s Sharks, the 33-year-old’s recovery is in a spot of bother, hindering him from returning to action:

“[Etzebeth has] suffered a return of symptoms of his recent concussion,” the club confirmed.

“The Sharks take this injury seriously, and player welfare remains our priority. Eben is being managed by concussion specialists. He will be cleared to return once they are satisfied his injury has completely resolved.”

Kolisi wants starting role

Etzebeth’s club and country teammate, Siya Kolisi, aware of the fierce competition he faces in the Springboks, worrying more about retaining his starting role than his captaincy role:

“To be honest, I’m not thinking about the captaincy. I just want to make the team,” said the Springbok captain.

“The most important thing for me is to have the chance to play for the Springboks. Whether I’m captain or not is not in my control. I just want to play well enough to be part of the team, and to hopefully make it to the 2027 World Cup.”

Former Springbok, Corne Krige, believes he’s still vital to the side, saying, “his presence on the team and the support he enjoys across the country makes an incredible difference,

“As long as he plays like he is now and doesn’t get injured, I think he can even remain captain until the next World Cup,

“The idea of just one guy leading the team hasn’t been a reality for years. However, in my opinion, Siya is the man for at least the next two years.”

Should Springboks prioritise Kolisi?

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