DHL Stormers coach John Dobson is expecting Cheslin Kolbe to make his long awaited return to the Cape team’s colours when they play the Hollywoodbets Sharks in the return Vodacom URC coastal derby in Durban on 5 December.
The Springbok double World Cup winner has been out of rugby since sustaining a broken jaw in the third game of the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series in Soweto on 5 September.
He was initially ruled out for two months but his agent Matt Norton has told journalists that as it was a double fracture his rehabilitation has been more complicated than it was expected to be.
“The top part of the fracture was too close to his facial nerves. That delayed his return to play, because the bone had to fuse naturally,” said Norton.
Dobson confirmed that Kolbe was going to miss the away leg of the Boks’ Nations Championship campaign, which begins with the game against Italy on 7 November, but was not able to say whether Kolbe might end up getting called up later in the tour (if there is an injury).
What he is sure of is that Kolbe will be ready to play in the Durban derby, when the timing of his return could prove fortuitous as he feels it is unlikely the rest of his Boks will be ready to play in that game.
“The Nations Championship finals day in London is six days before we play against the Sharks so I don’t think that is enough time and we will be working on playing that game without the Boks,” said Dobson.
“He (Cheslin) is available to us from the start of December. He’s already very involved with us in match preparations, attending meetings. We can’t wait to have him play for us. The Springboks will miss him on the end of year tour.”
Dobson, speaking after naming a much changed team for Saturday’s return to URC action after last week’s Investec Champions Cup win over the Scarlets, said the next two games before the break, concluding with next week’s (31 October) game against Ulster, were ones he wanted to use to increase his depth in readiness for going to Hollywoodbets Kings Park without most of his Boks.