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Springboks explain naming Kolbe at No15, why he also covers No10
Saturday in Dublin will see a strange sight for Springboks fans – Cheslin Kolbe running out wearing the No15 jersey for the first time in his Test career while also being on standby to provide cover at No10 should anything happen to the starting fly-half Damian Willemse. The recently-turned 29-year-old Kolbe has started on 16 previous occasions for South Africa – but every time he was in the No14 shirt and positioned on the right wing.
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Finally available again for international selection following the broken jaw injury sustained in July against Wales, Kolbe is one of three changes that Jacques Nienaber has announced in his Springboks team to face Ireland on Saturday six weeks after they got the better of Argentina in round six of The Rugby Championship in Durban.
Injured duo Frans Steyn and Canan Moodie have been replaced by Willemse and Kurt-Lee Arendse, but the major talking point on Tuesday after the Springboks confirmed their XV in Dublin was the presence of Kolbe at No15 in place of the benched Willie le Roux – with the added responsibility of potentially switching in-game to fly-half should a change be needed regarding Willemse, the starting No10.
“Cheslin at full-back, I would say after about three or four games when he started with us in 2018, he was always a realistic option at 15,” revealed Nienaber. “He trained at 15 often for us. We were just never forced to play him there. Not forced but it was never an opportunity for us to play him there. But we feel this specific game having Cheslin at full-back will serve us the best.”
Asked to confirm if Kolbe was also covering fly-half, Nienaber added: “Yes. With us going with the six/two (bench) split, he will be our fly-half. With us doing roadmaps on the players and doing performance analysis he has been utilised at the Top 14 level at fly-half often, especially for Toulouse when the French team managed (Romain) Ntamack.
“He stepped in and played fly-half for them quite often. Obviously, he is a very skillful player and that is the nice thing about having the versatility of a guy like Cheslin that can play full-back, that can play wing, and cover at fly-half, especially if you want to utilise the six/two (forwards/backs) split – that is quite important.”
Nienaber admitted that the selection of Kolbe at full-back would deprive the Springboks of a few centimeters in height with le Roux only chosen on the bench, but he has no concerns about the overall size of his back-three selection.
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“I don’t know the centimetres but Cheslin is probably a little bit shorter than Willie but Makazole Mapimpi is still the same and when we played against New Zealand, Kurt-Lee was there. So I think in stature they are probably a little bit shorter than what we are used but with Canan being out, that is the cards we have been dealt with and I’m comfortable they will be able to handle whatever Ireland throws their way.”
Comments on RugbyPass
I’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
4 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
4 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
22 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
4 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
6 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
8 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
8 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
14 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
4 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
2 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
6 Go to commentsThe greatest Springbok coach of all time is entirely on the money. Rassie and Jacques have given the south african public a great few years, but the success of the springbok selection policy will need to be judged in light of what comes next. The poor condition that the provincial system is currently in doesn’t bode well for the next few years of international rugby, and the insane 2026 schedule that the Boks have lined up could also really harm both provincial and international consistency.
22 Go to commentsJake White is a brilliant coach and a master in the press. This is another masterclass in media relations and PR but its also a very narrow view with arguments that dont always hold water. White wants his team to win, he wants the best players in SA and wants his team competitive. You however have to face up to the reality of a poor exchange rate and big clubs with big budgets. SA Rugby cant compete and unless it can find more money SA players will keep leaving regardless of Springbok eligibility and this happened in 2015 - 2017. Also rugby is not cricket. Cricket has 3 formats and T20 cricket is where the money is at. When it comes to club vs country the IPL is king but that wont happen because the international calendar does not clash with the club calendar in rugby. So the argument about rugby going down the same path as cricket is really a non-starter
22 Go to commentsNZ rugby seem not to have learnt anything from professional rugby. Super rugby was dying and SA left before they died with the competition. SA rugby did a u turn on their approach to international players playing overseas and such players are now selected for Bok teams. As much as each country would love to retain their players playing in local competitions, this is the way the world is evolving my friends. Move with it or stay 20 years behind the times. One more thing. NZ rugby hierarchy think they are the big cheese. Take a more humble approach guys. You do not seem to have your players best interests at heart.
4 Go to commentsBeaches? In Cardiff? Where?
1 Go to commentsHe is right , the Crusaders will be a threat. Scott Barrett, ( particularly), Fergus Burke , Codie Taylor, ( from sabbatical) etc due back soon for the Crusaders. There are others like Zach Gallagher too. People can right the Crusaders off, Top 8 , here we come !!
1 Go to commentsWe will always struggle for money to match the other sides but the least the WRU can do is invest properly in Welsh rugby. Too much has been squandered on vanity projects like the hotel and roof walk amongst others which will never see a massive return. Hanging the 4 pro sides out to dry over the last decade is now coming back to bite the WRU financially as well as on the pitch. You reap what you sow.
1 Go to commentsWhat do you get if you cross a doctor with a fish? A plastic sturgeon
14 Go to commentsWhat happened to feleti Kaitu’u? Hasnt played in a while right?
1 Go to comments