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Cheslin Kolbe shocks rugby fans with latest vulgar display of versatility
Cheslin Kolbe is the Springboks ‘magic maker’ – the hot-stepping try scorer. However, he continues to add new quivers to his bow and is now truly the ‘Swiss army knife’ of the South African team.
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Having filled in at scrumhalf before and occasionally slotted in at playmaker – apart from his usual try-scoring exploits on the wing – Kolbe became a line-out thrower in the Boks’ 33-7 demolition of the Wallabies in Brisbane at the weekend.
Back-to-back World Cup champions South Africa scored five tries to one as they crushed Australia in the opening match of the Rugby Championship.
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After leading 21-0 at half-time with three converted tries, they crossed twice in the second period as the Wallabies ran out of steam in the face of a fierce South African assault.
However, one of the more intriguing moments was when Kolbe became the line-out thrower after replacement hooker Malcolm Marx was yellow-carded in the 66th minute.
Even with loose forward Marco van Staden, a backup hooker at the World Cup last year, on the field, Kolbe stepped up to restart the game with a line-out throw.
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Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus revealed that Kolbe has been practising his line-out throwing, just in case one of the Boks’ hookers gets a yellow card.
“Marco [van Staden] can also throw in [at the line-outs],” he said of the loose forward, who was a backup hooker at the World Cup last year – after Marx’s knee injury in France.
“I helped Paul Treu coach the Sevens team and Cheslin was a great line-out thrower,” the Bok coach said.
“We haven’t had a scrum yet and couldn’t put Bongi [Mbonambi] back on.”
It now begs the question: What is the next position Kolbe can fill in at?
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Lifting him as a line-out jumper is not too far-fetched and packing down on the flank might also not be too inconceivable.
Perhaps he can try prop?
Cheslin Kolbe played wing, scrumhalf and hooker in the same game
So he’s better than Dupont 😋🎣
— Scrumming Flyhalf (@scrumming_ten) August 10, 2024
On a serious note.
Kolbe, despite his diminutive size, is one of the Boks’ most valued ‘warriors’.
Meanwhile, Erasmus and captain Siya Kolisi were quick to point out it was not a perfect performance in Brisbane and they expected a strong backlash from the hosts in Perth.
“Next week is a new Test and we know [Wallaby coach] Joe Schmidt can turn things around,” said Erasmus.
“He’s only had four games with Australia, and next week is a new game and a new venue, and we are expecting a big challenge.”
Kolisi added: “Next week is going to be a completely different challenge and we know it will be tougher, so we need to remain focused and keep working hard.”
It was the Springboks’ first win at Lang Park since 2013 and only their fourth-ever victory in Brisbane.
They went into the match as the firm favourites, ranked No.1 globally compared with the Wallabies at No.9.
And it was soon clear where the ascendancy lay, with the Wallabies appearing stunned by the strength and size of the South African forward pack
Kolisi said the Springboks were determined to put their poor Australian record behind them.
“It was a big thing for us to win this game, we know this is a fortress for Australian rugby,” Kolisi said of their Brisbane drought.
“We prepared well and gave them the respect they deserved and I’m proud of the way the boys played.
“We know with these two matches we can’t win the championship, but these two matches could lose us the championship.”
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