Springbok Cheslin Kolbe

Springbok wing Cheslin Kolbe suffered a sprained ankle during Toulon’s win over Lyon at the weekend, the Top 14 club announced. Photo: Twitter

Hopeful news for Springboks after Kolbe freak injury scare [video]

Initial reports out of France suggest that the freak injury suffered by Springbok superstar Cheslin Kolbe may not be as bad as first feared.

Springbok Cheslin Kolbe

Springbok wing Cheslin Kolbe suffered a sprained ankle during Toulon’s win over Lyon at the weekend, the Top 14 club announced. Photo: Twitter

As was widely reported on Saturday night, there were real concerns when Springbok wing Cheslin Kolbe had to be helped from the field after seeming to awkwardly turn over his ankle after scoring a try in the Top14.

LIVE UPDATES: SPRINGBOKS’ ROAD TO THE RUGBY WORLD CUP

The speedster appeared to be in severe discomfort as his ankle was tightly strapped before he was taken off the field on a medical golf cart.

However, in news that will certainly allow the Springbok coaches to breathe a bit easier, French publication Midi Olympique RugbyRama reports that Toulon coach Pierre Mignoni suggested after the match that Kolbe looks like he has suffered a sprain and not a fracture. 

This was also the word from Toulon manager Pierre Mignoni, who commented” “At first sight, it doesn’t look like a fracture, it seems to be a sprain. We are waiting for some tests to determine how serious it is.”

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THE SPRINGBOKS WILL WANT KOLBE AVAILABLE FOR THESE FIXTURES IN 2023

Rugby Championship

8 July: Springboks vs Australia (Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria)

✈ 15 July: South Africa vs New Zealand (Mount Smart, Auckland)

29 July: Springboks vs Argentina (Ellis Park, Johannesburg)

World Cup warm-ups

✈ 5 August: South Africa vs Argentina (Vélez Stadium, Buenos Aires)

✈ 19 August: South Africa vs Wales (Millennium Stadium, Cardiff)

✈ 25 August: Springbok vs New Zealand (Twickenham Stadium, London)

Rugby World Cup:

✈ 10 September: South Africa vs Scotland (Stade Vélodrome, Marseille) 

✈ 17 September: Springbok vs Romania (Stade de Bordeaux, Bordeaux) 

✈ 23 September: South Africa vs Ireland (Stade de France, Saint-Denis, Paris) 

✈ 1 October: South Africa vs Tonga (Stade Vélodrome, Marseille)

ALSO READ | INSIDE ACCESS TO THE SPRINGBOKS LIKE NEVER BEFORE

Quarter-finals sequence of play is as follows:QF 1 — Winner Pool C vs Runner up Pool D
QF 2 — Winner Pool B vs Runner up Pool A
QF 3 — Winner Pool D vs Runner up Pool C
QF 4 — Winner Pool A vs Runner up Pool B

ALSO READ: D-Day for Springbok World Cup squad announcement revealed

Semi-finals sequence of play is as follows:
SF 1 — Winner QF1 v Winner QF2
SF 2 — Winner QF3 v Winner QF4

Third place playoff:
Loser SF 1 vs Loser SF 2

World Cup final:
Winner SF 1 vs Winner SF 2

ALSO READ: No need for Springboks to turn back to Elton Jantjies

Cheslin Kolbe in action for Toulon before injury.
Cheslin Kolbe in action for Toulon before picking up an injury. Photo: Twitter.