Siya Kolisi Cleared for Springboks vs All Blacks 2026

Rassie Erasmus ended the speculation on Tuesday with three words: 'He's good to go.' Siya Kolisi is fit, available and back as captain for the Springboks in the second Test against the All Blacks at DHL Stadium in Cape Town on Saturday.

Kolisi Confirmed Fit for Must-Win Test

The confirmation came at the team's Johannesburg base, where Erasmus addressed the media ahead of what is now a must-win match for South Africa in the series. The Boks trail after losing the opener 16-33 at Ellis Park — a defeat Erasmus was candid enough to absorb himself. Kolisi's hamstring had been the dominant concern all week, with Pieter-Steph du Toit named as provisional captain on Monday while the medical clearance process ran its course. Erasmus was direct about the logic. 'If a guy has to go through a medical process on Monday and he's also captain, it throws us into the middle of everything if his hamstring hasn't cleared. So Pieter-Steph took the captaincy for us on Monday, and that let Siya fully concentrate on his own job and his own work.' It was a sensible piece of management — and it also protected Du Toit from the noise in the week he earns his 100th Test cap.

Erasmus confirmed that Cheslin Kolbe, who left the field at Ellis Park, is also tracking well. 'A grade-two hamstring takes a little bit longer to heal, so we were just being cautious. Last week it was maybe touch and go, but on Sunday when he did some rehab he said he was a bit sore going over the ground, but OK.' Kolbe's return to full fitness will be closely monitored before Saturday's 16:10 SAST kickoff.

Erasmus Takes Responsibility for Ellis Park Loss

The Ellis Park defeat clearly stung the coaching staff. Erasmus was unusually self-critical, placing much of the blame on his own preparation. 'I think this game was very much about decisions I made during the week, trying to change things up, maybe being too clever. It was definitely not an easy review.' He pointed specifically to the early loss of Kurt-Lee Arendse as the moment the game's architecture crumbled. 'For the first time in a long time, we were caught out by an early injury to Kurt-Lee, which disrupted things. Our backline cover wasn't good enough, and when Kurt-Lee went down in the first five minutes, suddenly everyone was playing out of position. That's maybe on the plan more than on the players.' It is rare to hear a coach with Erasmus's record absorb that kind of heat publicly — but it also signals that the review has been honest and the corrections are already being made.

On Kolisi's value beyond the matchday 23, Erasmus was unambiguous. 'What Siya means for us, for South Africa, means a lot. Siya is our long-term captain. It's not just his game, it's also that he's a very inspirational person, and a guy that means a lot to us on and off the field, in tough times and good times.' Having Kolisi back does more than fill a position — it restores an identity. The Boks confirmed their team for Cape Town: 15 Damian Willemse, 14 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Ethan Hooker, 10 Handré Pollard, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Siya Kolisi (c), 5 Ruan Nortjé, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Wilco Louw, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Ox Nché. Bench: 16 Deon Fourie, 17 Gerhard Steenekamp, 18 Thomas du Toit, 19 Lood de Jager, 20 André Esterhuizen, 21 Cameron Hanekom, 22 Morné van den Berg, 23 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu.

The All Blacks arrive in Cape Town having won all three matches on their South African tour. Dave Rennie's side have been ruthless, and Sir Steve Hansen has already called on them to 'get desperate' as they chase back-to-back wins over the world champions. DHL Stadium on Saturday is the Boks' fortress — and with Kolisi back leading the charge, expect South Africa to come out a very different side. Read our breakdown of why Erasmus is starting Handré Pollard and what Victor Matfield believes the Boks must do differently in his pre-match column.