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'I watched in 2009 and ever since I told myself I definitely want to be a part of that'

By Online Editors
Cheslin Kolbe in action for South Africa (Photo by Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images)

Springboks star Cheslin Kolbe has labelled next year’s British and Irish Lions tour of South Africa as an “incredible” event that he wants to be part of.

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Speaking at a press conference on Monday, the Toulouse speedster told reporters of his memories from the Lions’ last visit to the Republic in 2009, during which the hosts secured a 2-1 test series win over the Springboks.

“I watched in 2009 and ever since I told myself I definitely want to be a part of that,” Kolbe said.

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“Seeing the atmosphere, the way the stadiums were packed, the amount of time [that] is invested when the British and Irish Lions do come over, it’s incredible. It’s a team I want to be a part of and play in those three tests.”

The 2019 World Rugby Player of the Year nominee pinpointed the moment that Morne Steyn kicked the Springboks to a series-clinching victory at Loftus Versfeld during the second test as a particular highlight of the tour 11 years ago.

“Morne Steyn, playing at Loftus, so he knew the stadium, getting that penalty from past the halfway line,” he said.

“The moment with all the green jerseys standing up and they went crazy for the winning points. That was one of the highlights.

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“Playing against the Lions, because they are made out of different countries makes it so much more special and playing against the best — that’s who you want to perform against and how you want to see where you are as a player.”

The 26-year-old’s comments come months after he confirmed his intention to face the Lions rather than pursue a gold medal with South Africa’s national sevens side at the Tokyo Olympics, which will be held concurrently with the tour.

Kolbe, who enjoyed a breakout international campaign with the Springboks en route to their World Cup success last year, won a bronze medal with the Blitzboks at the 2016 Rio Olympics, but isn’t looking to add to his collection next year.

“It was a difficult one with the Lions being at the same time. Being a part of the Olympics in 2016 and experiencing that was incredible,” he said.

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“Playing against athletes from all over the world and meeting athletes in the Olympic village are the things you want to be a part of,” he added.

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Jon 8 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

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john 11 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

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