after his knee operation, Kolisi hopes to play “one or two matches” before the World Cup

Siya Kolisi ANDREW BOYERS/REUTERS

Springbok captain Siya Kolisi who is recovering from knee surgery, said on Tuesday he hoped to play “one or twowarm-up matches before South Africa begin their world title defense against Scotland on September 10 at the Rugby World Cup in France.

“I hope I can play in one of the two warm-up matchessaid Kolisi during a press briefing in Pretoria. “It’s not great to be injured, but I’ve been there before and it’s good to have the support of the coaches and the players, as well as the medical team, who are fantastic“continued the South African third line, operated at the end of April for a partial rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament and also touched a meniscus

Read alsoWorld Cup 2023: Kolisi “on the right track”, according to the staff of South Africa

Kolisi, who will join Racing 92 in the Top 14 after the World Cup, will not be able to participate in the Rugby Championship matches against Australia, New Zealand and Argentina organized in July. “I’m making progress every week and I’m confident about the evolution of the situation. My rehabilitation is going well“He wanted to reure, on the same wavelength as Rie Erasmus, the director of rugby for the Springboks, who declared last week that he intended to involve him in the preparation matches for the program between the Rugby Championship and the World Cup (8 September – 28 October).

The defending champions will face Argentina in Buenos Aires, Wales in Cardiff and New Zealand in London between August 5 and 25. Kolisi, who made his debut for South Africa in 2013, became the Springboks’ first black captain five years later and led his country to victory at the 2019 World Cup in Japan.