Kolbe to miss Bok Tests next month, but back for Stormers in December

Springbok and Stormers star Cheslin Kolbe will not recover from injury in time for the Boks’ Nations Championship games in Europe in November, but should be ready to make his franchise comeback in December.

Stormers Director of Rugby John Dobson was speaking at the team announcement press conference on Wednesday afternoon, after naming the side to face Llanelli Scarlets in a United Rugby Championship (URC) match at the Cape Town Stadium on Saturday.

Dobson was asked when Kolbe, who started his senior career with Western Province and the Stormers and left in 2017 before returning over the past off-season, would be ready to play.

“I think it was supposed to be two months (out) from when he broke his jaw (playing for the Boks against the All Blacks) in that Soweto Test (in early September),” said Dobson.

‘Available from December’

“Look, Chessie is not going to make the Springbok tour.

“But he’s available for us from the start of December, when he will play his first game (back). He’s attending team meetings, he’s so involved, we can’t wait to have him. So there’s a silver lining in that.

“I’m sure the Springboks are going to miss him on the end-of-year tour. I don’t know if he makes it, maybe later on in the tour, I’m not close enough to it. But I know he’s with us from the beginning of December onwards.”

If Kolbe is unavailable for the Boks’ whole Nations Championship run, it will be a blow for the national team as they target glory in the inaugural competition, as he has become an even more important player for them this season, after becoming their first-choice kicker.

The Boks currently top the Nations Championship South Section, equal on points with the All Blacks but ahead on points difference, and have three more games away against Italy, France and Ireland next month.

At the end of that run the top team in the South Section will take on the top team in the North Section, which is currently France, to see who is the best in the business, on the Finals Weekend which will be held at the end of November at Twickenham in London.