Springbok midfield back Lukhanyo Am on his return to the Boks.
In Toulon
Springbok centre Lukhanyo Am received the warmest of welcomes from his captain, Siya Kolisi, as he made his long-awaited return to the men’s national team at the Toulon Rugby Club campus on Wednesday.
Am was named as a replacement for Makazole Mapimpi, who fractured his cheekbone and eye socket in Sunday’s 49-18 win over Tonga in Marseille.
Am and Mapimpi aren’t just housemates in Durban where they play for the Sharks, but also combined for the first-ever Rugby World Cup try scored by the Springboks in a final when they beat England 32-12 in Yokohama in 2019.
Where there was initial sadness about Mapimpi being injured, Kolisi, who played with Am at the Sharks before his departure, showed unbridled joy in having him back in the team setup.
On a sunny and pleasant Wednesday afternoon, Am was welcomed like he never left by his teammates.
Am joined the Bok team this morning and, according to Springbok assistant coach Felix Jones, is up for selection contention should the Springboks make the quarter-finals, for which they’ll relocate to Paris.
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