Springboks captain Siya Kolisi returns to face All Blacks in Rugby Championship

Siya Kolisi has recovered from injury and will lead the Springbok side for the two highly anticipated tests against the All Blacks.

The Springbok skipper sustained an injury against the Wallabies in their shock loss at Ellis Park, which led to him leaving the field early in the second half.

Coach Rassie Erasmus named his 35 member squad for their All Blacks test, with only three players who featured against the Wallabies missing.

Wings Kurt-Lee Arendse and Edwill van der Merwe, along with loose forward Cobus Wiese, will not make the trip for the test matches in Auckland and Wellington.

Erasmus says Kolisi, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Willie le Roux, and Jan-Hendrik Wessels have been medically cleared from their niggles, while all the players who faced Australia in Cape Town have received a clean bill of health and will be ready to face the All Blacks.

Number eight Jasper Wiese is still currently serving a suspension after being sent off against Italy last month and will only be eligible for selection for the second test.

Erasmus says facing the All Blacks in New Zealand is a massive challenge, but all the teams in this competition are ranked among the top sides in the world, and each one has the potential to beat one another on the day.

He says in the last two months alone, Australia defeated them at Ellis Park and went down narrowly in their British & Irish Lions Series defeat, while Argentina defeated New Zealand last weekend and the British & Irish Lions, so they are not paying much attention to their historic records in New Zealand.

While the All Blacks have a formidable record at Eden Park, having not lost there since 1994, the Springboks have not won at New Zealand's largest stadium since 1937.

Auckland has not been kind to them, even away from Eden Park, as they suffered a record 57-0 defeat to the All Blacks at North Harbour Stadium in 2017 and a 35-20 loss at Mt Smart in 2023.

The Springboks will take on the All Blacks at 7.05pm next Saturday at Eden Park.

Meanwhile, the Wallabies will host Argentina at 4.30pm next Saturday at Queensland Country Bank Stadium.

South Africa touring team Forwards: Lood de Jager, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Thomas du Toit, Jean-Luc du Preez, Eben Etzebeth, Vincent Koch, Siya Kolisi, Wilco Louw, Malcolm Marx, Bongi Mbonambi, Franco Mostert, Ox Nche, Ruan Nortje, Kwagga Smith, RG Snyman, Marnus van der Merwe, Marco van Staden, Boan Venter, Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Jasper Wiese (available for second test only).

Backs: Damian de Allende, Andre Esterhuizen, Aphelele Fassi, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Ethan Hooker, Jesse Kriel, Cheslin Kolbe, Willie le Roux, Manie Libbok, Makazole Mapimpi, Canan Moodie, Handré Pollard, Cobus Reinach, Morne van den Berg, Grant Williams, Damian Willemse.

[Source: RNZ Sports]