REVEALED: The source of Siya Kolisi's COVID-19 contact
NEWS: Western Province coach John Dobson was reluctant to give details, but the source of his captain’s COVID-19 contact has been confirmed.
The World Cup-winning Springbok captain Siyamthanda Kolisi will miss Western Province’s crucial trip to Bloemfontein this week.
Kolisi was a late withdrawal from the WP team that scored a bonus-point 34-17 win over Griquas at Newlands at the weekend.
The Province coach, Dobson, confirmed that Kolisi’s absence was the result of a ‘contact’ situation.
However, it has now been confirmed the source of the contact was Kolisi’s wife Rachel – who took to social media to confirm that she has tested positive for the virus.
Rachel Kolisi, in a heartfelt post on her Instagram account, revealed that she is now in isolation.
(Continue below Instagram post …)
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“I never had a fever, no sore throat, no coughing,” Rachel Kolisi said on Instagram.
“I actually spent the day in the pool and assumed I had a sinus infection.
“I realized I couldn’t smell anything so went straight into isolation until I received my positive result.”
She also opened up about the impact it is having on her and her family, as well as talking about the growing number of cases in South Africa.
“It’s clear our numbers in SA are out of control,” she said, adding: “We’re just short of 1 million cases.
“Yet some people are more relaxed about it than ever?”
The Province coach, Dobson, revealed that Kolisi’s World Cup-winning Bok teammate Steven Kitshoff will captain the WP the team in the national skipper’s absence.
“[We] found out late last [Friday] night,” Dobson told a virtual media briefing – following the five-tries-to-two win on a sunny day at Newlands.
“He [Kolisi] has to isolate for 10 days, so he won’t be available for next week.”
Despite moving into second place, for at least 24 hours, Province needs a win in Bloemfontein to advance their chances of finishing in the top two and host on of the semifinals.
Dobson said Kolisi’s case would not impact any other players.
“We will go through a normal round of testing on Tuesday,” the coach added.
“I don’t think you need to be a virologist to realise the graph is going the wrong way.
“You can expect, across the country, to have other impacts on the competition.”
Dobson also confirmed that Lock Salmaan Moerat, who missed the Griquas encounter as a result of COVID-19 protocol after being in contact with a positive case, will have served his 10-day isolation and be available for the trip to Bloemfontein.
However, there remains uncertainty over Bok hooker Siyabonga Ntubeni, who was sidelined due to a quad injury this past weekend – which saw Chad Solomon earn his 50th Western Province cap off the replacements bench.
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* To see John Dobson’s response, watch from 13 minutes on the video!
