Springbok captain Siya Kolisi says the ongoing talks between his French club, Racing 92, and the Sharks to bring him back to South Africa haven’t been a distraction as he’s fully focused on the job he needs to do for the Springboks in the Rugby Championship.

Kolisi, after recovering from a face injury this week, will captain the Boks against New Zealand at DHL Stadium on Saturday (17:00). The Boks are seeking their fourth straight win in this year’s tournament and fourth on the bounce against the All Blacks. 

The skipper, who joined Racing 92 after last year’s Rugby World Cup triumph, has been linked with a move from the French club back to his former team, the Sharks. 

As things stand, it’s unclear whether Kolisi will be able to exit the final two years of his contract with recent reports suggesting that talks between the two clubs have broken down.

However, the skipper says the external noise isn’t affecting him as he looks to lead South Africa to another massive win against their arch-rivals. 

“I’m okay, my focus is here, these things happen to people, but my attention is here,” said Kolisi in Friday’s press conference.

“The most important thing for me now is to play for the Springboks. 

“The decisions I take in my private life, I take to ensure that I’m in a good position to be able to play for South Africa. There’s a lot I need to do here, I can’t be thinking about external issues.”

Kolisi made it into this weekend’s starting lineup after recovering from a face injury he sustained during their 31-27 victory against the All Blacks at Ellis Park last Saturday.

He trained during the week, and the swelling on the face decreased significantly meaning he would be available for selection.

He will, however, have to get his nose reset, and on Thursday, Rassie Erasmus revealed that it was his choice to play.

Kolisi says it will be a massive tussle, and they want to reclaim the Freedom Cup.

“This match is huge for the team, not for me only, we are in a place that we’ve never been before as this group in the Rugby Championship,” he added. 

“We’ve always gone to Australia or won here against Argentina and maybe get a win in New Zealand.

“The Freedom Cup is something that we’ve seen in pictures or when we go past it- we haven’t been able to touch it and it’s big. We can put ourselves in a good position for the Rugby Championship and win the Freedom Cup.”