Cheslin Kolbe has handed South Africa a big boost by confirming he avoided any injury in Saturdayās 23-13 loss to New Zealand.
The Toulouse wing lit up the Yokohama clash, bamboozling All Blacks defenders with his lightning footwork.
The 25-year-old offered everything but a try on his Rugby World Cup debut, before receiving medical attention and appearing in pain late in the engaging tussle.
A simple case of cramp stands as huge relief for a Springboks group now bidding to become the first team to taste defeat in the pool stages and lift the World Cup.
And Kolbe insisted he will be fit and ready to go for South Africaās second Pool B clash, against Namibia in Toyota on Saturday.
Asked if he had feared a serious injury when grimacing on the turf, Kolbe said: āI wasnāt worried at all. I had a bit of cramp and just a little shock on the ankle, but itās nothing; nothing to worry about.
āI should be fine. Iāll just manage myself and make sure that I get the best recovery.ā
Kolbeās bullet pace and instinctive shape-shifting could well prove the combination to elevate him above all others at this tournament.
The 25-year-old tore through New Zealand almost at will in the second half, and would have scored a wonder try were it not for a masterful cover tackle from Richie Moāunga.
Rather than lament the opportunity lost, Kolbe instead pointed to improvements he now wants to make in his own game.
Ireland or Scotland could well face the Springboks in a quarter-final, and neither team will be greatly enamoured by the prospect of Kolbe hitting even greater heights.
Critiquing that chance lost when Moāunga hauled him back from a fine finish, Kolbe said: āHe showed a good pair of wheels. I think I could have gone a bit quicker to his outside and backed myself.
āIāll just make sure that whenever thereās another opportunity like that Iāll capitalise.
āWe had a good 10-minute start in the first half, but then there were some loose balls that didnāt stick. They just capitalised on our mistakes.
āThey played a very good kicking game. The World Cup is not going to be about attacking. There were a few balls we just couldnāt handle in the air.
āWe know theyāre a quality side and you canāt give them any scraps because theyāll punish you. So they really capitalised on that and they got the points.
āWeāll just keep our heads up high and keep on working for the next game and make sure that we donāt drop our heads.
āMy first game in a World Cup is a memory Iāll take with me throughout my career. Itās not the result that we wanted. But itās still a long competition.
āWe donāt have to get ahead of ourselves, weāll just make sure that we focus on the next game.ā