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Springboks explain naming Kolbe at No15, why he also covers No10

(Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)

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Injured duo Frans Steyn and Canan Moodie have been replaced by Willemse and Kurt-Lee Arendse, but the major talking point on Tuesday after the Springboks confirmed their XV in Dublin was the presence of Kolbe at No15 in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.

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“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.

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“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.”

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3 Comments
T
Tate 731 days ago

Ireland will carve up that backline anyway. The Springboks will do good to lose by less than 20.

M
Michael Röbbins (academic and writer extraordinair 731 days ago

Just get him on the field. It’ll all work out. Desperately wish Am was back, then this undoubtedly would be a formative, formidable full XV. We’ll see… Me thinks Jonny Sexpistol might carve up SA’s midfield a bit.

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Bull Shark 1 hour ago
Rassie Erasmus' Boks selection policy is becoming bizarre

To be fair, the only thing that drives engagement on this site is over the top critiques of Southern Hemisphere teams.


Or articles about people on podcasts criticizing southern hemisphere teams.


Articles regarding the Northern Hemisphere tend to be more positive than critical. I guess to also rile up kiwis and Saffers who seem to be the majority of followers in the comments section. There seems to be a whole department dedicated to Ireland’s world ranking news.


Despite being dialled into the Northern edition - I know sweet fokall about what’s going on in France.


And even less than fokall about what’s cutting in Japan - which has a fast growing, increasingly premium League competition emerging.


And let’s not talk about the pacific. Do they even play rugby Down there.


Oh and the Americas. I’ve read more articles about a young, stargazing Welshman’s foray into NFL than I have anything related to either the north and south continents of the Americas.


I will give credit that the women’s game is getting decent airtime. But for the rest and the above; it’s just pathetic coming from a World Rugby website.


Just consider the innovation emerging in Japan with the pedigree of coaches over there.


There’s so much good we could be reading.


Instead it’s unimaginative “critical for the sake of feigning controversial”. Which is lazy, because in order to pull that off all you need to be really good at is:


1. Being a doos;

2. Having an opinion.


No prior experience needed.


Which is not journalism. That’s like all or most of us in the comments section. People like Finn (who I believe is a RP contributor).


Anyway. Hopefully it will get better. The game is growing and the interest in the game is growing. Maybe it will attract more qualified journalists over time.

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