Bok captain Kolisi confident he'll recover for World Cup: 'I've been through this, I'll be fine'

Springbok captain Siya Kolisi remained confident in his chances of being ready for his team's title defence as he fights another knee injury in a Rugby World Cup year.

Kolisi suffered a knee injury in late May 2019 while playing for the Stormers, an injury that saw him miss the 2019 Rugby Championship.

However, he recovered in time for some warm-up games and got better as the tournament progressed in Japan.

Kolisi suffered this knee injury on 22 April as compared to the one from 31 May four years ago, with the impingement he suffered against Munster in the 22-22 URC draw requiring surgery.

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Kolisi said the warm and enabling team environment that also contains survivors of career-threatening knee injuries like lock RG Snyman made his recovery bearable. 

"Each day is different, and I take it day by day," Kolisi said.

"I know that I've been here before, so I need to take each day as it comes because I've been through this.

"I know that I need to take each day as it comes, but I'm feeling confident that I'll be fine.

"It's not nice being in this position, but with coach Jacques Nienaber and Rassie Erasmus around, it's been good to feel backed and supported in this manner.

"The medical team is working really hard and there are other guys in the team who have been through the same thing."

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Kolisi's recovery is just one of the mini-headaches Bok coach Nienaber has to deal with as the opening Rugby Championship Test against Australia at Loftus Versfeld on 8 July looms large on the horizon.

A potential flyhalf crisis caused by injuries to Handre