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'Hurts to watch': Frustrations grow over Toulon's Springbok star Kolbe
The use of Toulon’s megastar wing Cheslin Kolbe has come under question as fans grow frustrated with the Springboks star and the hefty price tag he brings.
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Toulon made waves in 2021 when it paid a blockbuster transfer fee to buyout his Toulouse contract and sign a new one at a reported €1M per season.
However since making the move to the glamour club injuries have marred his time at the famous Toulon club with extended time on the sidelines in between internationals with South Africa.
What's the right fee for Toulon to pay Toulouse for Cheslin Kolbe – £2m? Easily in the top five best players in the world, two years left on his contract.
Louis Picamoles reportedly cost Montpellier £1.3m to sign from Northampton a few years back.
— Ben Coles (@bencoles_) August 25, 2021
The Stade Mayol faithful waited until round 17 last season to see their new star play at home in a league fixture, with his official debut coming earlier against Zebre in a Challenge Cup match.
Kolbe made 10 appearances for Toulon in the Top 14 scoring three tries in his first season, while he scored one more in three Challenge Cup fixtures.
In the 2022/23 season, Kolbe has featured six times in the first 15 weeks of competition but featured heavily for South Africa in the November internationals.
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In addition to the lengthy time on the sidelines, fans have grown frustrated with the lack of game planning to use Kolbe, complaining he ‘never receives the ball’ outside of returning kicks.
Toulon paid a €1.8M transfer fee and €1M per year for him to never receive the ball apart from kick receipts with a fully loaded defence line waiting for him.
Give this guy the ball and he will give you magic. Hurts to watch 💔 pic.twitter.com/OPQOUeirAA
— Amazing Vheriwa (@amazingvheriwa1) January 7, 2023
Cheslin Kolbe looks to be getting back to his elusive best ⚡️#SaffasAbroad #TOP14 pic.twitter.com/LsriqTLRj3
— Jared Wright (@jaredwright17) October 23, 2022
Best bit of business Toulouse ever did.
Got the best out of Kolbe, then offloaded him for a massive fee once his form collapsed & Roc Nation turned him into a bellend.
Used the fee to recruit Jaminet, Barassi, Capuozzo, etc.
Mouldy husk of a once-great player now is Kolbe. https://t.co/Q0rXs1ZPUD
— Stephen Wall (@StephenWall1985) January 7, 2023
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Toulon fans are famously harsh critics who have turned on stars who don’t perform to expectations. Former All Black Julian Savea is a notable recent example, who drew the ire of former owner Mourad Boudjellal.
Some fans are now putting the Kolbe contract up there as one of the club’s worst bits of business, with one fan calling it ‘the most spectactular robbery that Toulon has known’.
This Twitter user wrote: “Kolbe who takes nearly a million euros is clearly the most spectacular robbery that Toulon has known and there have been some beautiful.”
Kolbe qui prend près d'un million d'euros c'est clairement le braquage le plus spectaculaire qu'ai connu Toulon et il y en a eu des beaux 😭
— Alex (@AleexxFB) December 15, 2022
Another lamented the ‘ghost’ of Kolbe: “The RCT has been boring us for years as a bonus, in particular with the Kolbe ghost that Canal still imagines at the level of 2019… I think Bayonne Pau deserves more respect than Toulon”
Ça fait des années que le RCT nous ennuie en prime avec notamment le fantôme Kolbe que Canal imagine encore au niveau de 2019… Je trouve que Bayonne Pau mériteraient plus d’égards que Toulon.
— racahout (@racahout1) December 5, 2022
Kolbe recently re-commmited his future to the club after speculation that he would leave France to either return home or go to Japan.
“I am happy to be able to clarify: I only have my mind in Toulon. I am here and this at least until 2024,” he said.
His former Stormers club reportedly offered a five-year contract to return to South Africa, while he was also pursued by Japan Rugby League One team where fellow Springboks Willie le Roux, Damian de Allende, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Malcolm Marx, Faf de Klerk and Jesse Kriel ply their trade.
Toulon once again have learnt the risk in paying top dollar for wingers who rely on those around them to create space and opportunity, even for a player as gifted as Kolbe.
The Springboks World Cup hero has not been able to replicate the club form he had with Toulouse, with French halves pair Antoine Dupont and Romain Ntamack.
He scored 9 tries in his final season with Toulouse and captured the double, the European Cup and Top 14 League title, his second with the club.
Comments on RugbyPass
He would be a great player for the Stormers, Dobbo should approach the guy.
3 Go to commentsGood article. A few years back when he was playing for the Cheetahs, he was a quiet standout for exactly the seasons stated here. I occasionally get to see his games in the UK, and he has become a more complete player and in many ways like an Irish player. His work ethic is so suitable to the Leinster game. I wonder if Rassie would have him listed somewhere.
3 Go to commentsResults probably skewed by the fact that a few clubs have foreign fly halves in their 30s, but most teams have young English scrum halves. Results also likely to be skewed by the fact that many teams rely on centres and fullbacks to provide depth at 10, whereas they will need to stock a large number of specialist backup 9s.
1 Go to commentsI really get the sense that when all is said and done, the path of least resistance will end up being a merger of Wasps & Worcester that essentially kills the Worcester Warriors brand and sees Wasps permanently playing at Sixways. I’m not saying that’s what should happen or what I want to happen. I just think it’s the easiest rout to take and therefore, will be what happens. Wasps will definitely return to play first, and I suppose it all depends on if they can find support at Sixways. If people turn up and support Wasps in that community, at that ground, I bet they drop the Sevenoaks plan and just remain at Sixways. Under the radar but not totally unrelated, it looks as though London Irish are going to be brought back from the dead by a German consortium and look set to return, likely to the remade Championship. It’s set to have 12 clubs next season with 14 in 2025/26, what do you want to bet those extra 2 are Wasps and London Irish?
1 Go to commentsThe shoulder is a “joint” with multiple bones. You don’t “fracture” a shoulder, you fracture any one or more of the bones that make up a shoulder.
2 Go to commentsOh dear, bones too suspect to continue?
2 Go to commentsBold headline considering the Canes and Blues are 1 and 2 and the Brumbies were soundly beaten by the Chiefs and Blues. Biggest surprise is Rebels 4 Crusaders 12 - no one saw that coming. If Aus are improving that’s great 👍
1 Go to commentsAnna, You are right, we need to have patience whilst the others catch up to England and France. Also it is the PWR that has been the game changer for England. the RFU put money into that initially at the expense of the Red Roses. I was sceptical at first but it has paid off in spades.
1 Go to commentsI think Matt Proctor became a 1 test AB in the same fixture. Cameron is quality and has been great this season, can’t believe’s he only 27. Realistically how would he not be selected for ABs squad this year. Only Dmac is ahead of him as a specialist 10. With Jordan out, it will come down to where and when Beauden Barrett slots back in, and where they want to play Ruben Love. Cameron seems an absolute lock in for the wider squad though. Added benefit of TJ-Cameron-Jordie combination at 9, 10, 11 too.
1 Go to commentsFarcical, to what end would someone want to pay to keep this thing going.
1 Go to commentsHavili, our best 12 by a mile, will be in the squad, if he stays fit. JB is the most overrated AB in the last 50 years.
61 Go to commentsWe had during the week twilight footy, twilight cricket, tw golf plus there was the athletics club. Then the weekend was rugby 15s plus the net ball, really busy club scene back then but so much has changed and rugby has suffered. And it was all about changing lifestyles.
6 Go to commentsIn the 70s and 80s my club ran 5 Senior sides plus a Vets. Now it is 2 sides with an occasional 3rd team. Players have difficulty getting to training now, not sure why and the commitment is not there. It seems to me more a problem of people applying themselves and not expecting to turn up and play whenever they want to.
6 Go to commentsROG’s contract is until 2027. The conversation about a successor to Galthie after RWC 2027 may be starting now. We can infer that Galthie’s reign stops then. He is throwing the Irish Coaching Job angle in because he is Irish. The next Irish coach MUST be Leo Cullen. As well as being the best coach available, coaching the vast majority of Irish Internationals week in week out, he has shown incredible skill at recruiting the best coaching staff for the job in hand. That was a failing in France. Cullen is a shrewd guy and if there is a need for foreign coaches underneath him he won’t hesitate. Rightly so. Ireland does need to start to bring Irish coaches through. Not just at the professional level but we need to train coaches to man new pathways for developing kids from schools/clubs up through the divisions.
8 Go to commentsNo Islam says it must rule where it stands Thus it is to be deleted from this planet Earth
18 Go to commentsThis team probably does not beat the ABs sadly Not sure if BPA will be available given his signing for Force but has to enter consideration. Very strong possibility of getting schooled by the AB props. Advantage AB. Rodda/Skelton would be a tasty locking combination - would love to see how they get on. Advantage Wallabies. Backrow a risk of getting out hustled and outmuscled by ABs. Will be interesting to see if the Blues feast on the Reds this weekend the way they did the Brumbies we are in big trouble at the breakdown. Great energy, running and defence but goalkicking/general kicking/passing quality in the halves bothers me enormously. SA may have won the World Cup for a lot of the tournament without a recognised goalkicker but Pollard in the final made a difference IMO. Injuries and retirements leave AB stocks a bit lighter but still stronger. 12 and 13 ABs shade it (Barret > Paisami, Ione = Ikitau, arguably) Interesting clash of styles on the wings - Corey Toole running around Caleb Clark and Caleb running over the top of Toole. Reece vs Koro probably the reverse. Pretty even IMO. 15s Kelleway = Love See advantage to ABs man for man, but we are not obviously getting slaughtered anywhere which makes a nice change. Think talent wise we are pretty even and if our cohesion and teamwork is better than the ABs then its just about doable.
11 Go to commentsCompletely agree. More friday night games would be a hit. RFU to make sure every club has a floodlit pitch. Club opens again Saturday to welcome touch / tag. Minis and youths on Sunday
6 Go to comments1.97m and 105Kg? Proportionately, probably skinnier than me at 1.82 and 82kilos. He won’t survive against the big guys at that weight.
56 Go to commentsThe value he brought to the crusaders as an assistant was equal to what he got out of being there. He reflected not only on the team culture but also the credit he attributed to the rugby community. Such experience shouldn’t be overlooked.
8 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
11 Go to comments