Springbok captain Siya Kolisi could play his first match back for the Stormers on Friday night against Edinburgh in Scotland.
The Cape side has a growing injury problem in the back row. Loose forwards Evan Roos and Marcel Theunissen have been sent home to South Africa.
Both players were hurt before the Stormers won with a bonus point against Connacht on Friday. The United Rugby Championship match against Edinburgh is a round two game.
Forwards coach Rito Hlungwani spoke to the media on Monday. He said the pair were back in Cape Town to see specialists. Roos has a hamstring problem and Theunissen has a calf strain.
It is not yet known how long the two players will be out. Kolisi joined the squad last week. He was seen warming up with the team before the Connacht game.
Hlungwani was asked if the 35-year-old flanker could be in the matchday 23. He smiled and said the team “will be released on Thursday”.
He did confirm that no other returning Springboks would join the squad for this part of the tour.
“It’s really good for the players to see that it’s not the Springbok captain, a superstar player coming to join them, but a humble player who is just like any one of them,” Hlungwani said.
“He really wants to be part of this team, and he’s used his actions to show it,” the coach said. He added that everyone in the group respects and appreciates Kolisi.
Hlungwani said Kolisi can cover every position in the back row. This could help coach John Dobson’s team while Roos, a No 8, and Theunissen are out.
Loose forward Hacjivah Dayimani said the players did not know Kolisi was joining the tour. He called Kolisi’s surprise arrival in Ireland “super cool”.
“We felt the energy from the moment he walked in,” Dayimani said. “He was trying to get the chaps up, trying to bring positivity.”
Without Roos and Theunissen in Galway, former Junior Springbok Riley Norton played well at blindside flank. He had first been named at lock. Connor Evans also did well off the bench.
Springbok loosehead prop Ntuthuko Mchunu joined the squad over the weekend. Utility forward Ben-Jason Dixon is still being watched as he recovers from concussion symptoms.
Both Mchunu and Dixon could be cleared in time for the team announcement on Thursday.
Source: this article is based on reporting by IOL Sport. Image: IOL Sport. Written with the help of AI and published by the Tzaneen Voice Sports desk. See our Editorial Standards.
Tiyani Mathebula writes about sport for Tzaneen Voice. Tiyani covers Bafana Bafana, the Springboks, the Proteas and the PSL, along with athletics, tennis and local club sport. Match reports and previews focus on results, team news, fixtures and what each game means for South African teams and fans.