Kolbe Switches To Full-Back For South Africa’s Showdown With Ireland
Cheslin Kolbe is pictured during the Springboks' training session at the UCD Bowl today ©INPHO/Ben Brady
South African flyer Cheslin Kolbe will play his first Test at full-back this weekend when he makes a return to the team for the first time since July.
Kolbe, fellow speed merchant Kurt-Lee Arendse and out-half Damian Willemse are the three changes to the Springboks side that defeated Argentina 38-21 in the final round of the Rugby Championship in September.
For Saturday’s clash with Ireland at the Aviva Stadium (kick-off 5.30pm), head coach Jacques Nienaber has put together a lightning-quick back-three made up of Kolbe, who will provide out-half cover, Arendse and Mapimpi.
Former Munster centre Damian de Allende combines with Jesse Kriel in midfield, while Willemse, a United Rugby Championship winner with the DHL Stormers last season, leads the back-line alongside Jaden Hendrikse.
There are 499 caps’ worth of experience in an unchanged pack, led by captain Siya Kolisi. It is backed up by their ‘Bomb Squad’ bench, which includes the front row trio of Bongi Mbonambi, Ox Nche and Vincent Koch, who has signed for Stade Francais.
Locks Eben Etzebeth and Lood de Jager, along with Kolisi, Kriel, de Allende, Pieter-Steph du Toit and hooker Malcolm Marx, started the 2017 Test in Dublin which Ireland won in convincing fashion, 38-3.
“We selected a team we believe contains the best combinations to counter the threats posed by Ireland,” said Nienaber, the former Munster defence coach who guided the ‘Boks to a second place finish in the Rugby Championship.
“Damian (Willemse) has done well for us at out-half, and he is continuing to grow as a player in that role, while we think Cheslin has the potential to add a new dimension to our game at full-back.
“He was sidelined for a while after breaking his jaw against Wales, but he has played four 80-minute matches for Toulon since returning to play, and we are confident that he will step up to the challenge.”
He added: “Ireland are the top ranked team in the world currently and they’ve shown in the past that they can be a force to reckoned with in Dublin.
“We last faced them on their home patch in 2017 and they beat us 38-3 in that match, and they also beat us here 29-15 in 2014 and they will draw confidence from that.
“Similarly to us, they will also view this as a vital clash with an eye on next year’s Rugby World Cup in France where we will cross paths in the pool stages.
“Obviously we are a long way out from the World Cup, but we have a limited number of matches left before the competition and the preparation doesn’t get better than playing a side we will face in the World Cup and the number one side in the world.
“This match is important for us for many reasons, one of which is to test our player combinations with the World Cup less than a year away.”
SOUTH AFRICA Team & Replacements (v Ireland, 2022 Bank of Ireland Nations Series, Aviva Stadium, Saturday, November 5, kick-off 5.30pm):
Player/Club/Caps –
15. Cheslin Kolbe (Toulon) 20
14. Kurt-Lee Arendse (Vodacom Bulls) 3
13. Jesse Kriel (Canon Eagles) 56
12. Damian de Allende (Wild Knights) 66
11. Makazole Mapimpi (Cell C Sharks) 33
10. Damian Willemse (DHL Stormers) 23
9. Jaden Hendrikse (Cell C Sharks) 10
1. Steven Kitshoff (DHL Stormers) 67
2. Malcolm Marx (Kubota Spears) 55
3. Frans Malherbe (DHL Stormers) 54
4. Eben Etzebeth (Cell C Sharks) 106
5. Lood de Jager (Wild Knights) 64
6. Siya Kolisi (Cell C Sharks) 71 (capt)
7. Pieter-Steph du Toit (Toyta Verblitz) 64
8. Jasper Wiese (Leicester Tigers) 18
Replacements:
16. Bongi Mbonambi (Cell C Sharks) 52
17. Ox Nche (Cell C Sharks) 15
18. Vincent Koch (unattached) 37
19. Franco Mostert (Honda Heat) 59
20. Deon Fourie (DHL Stormers) 3
21. Kwagga Smith (Shizuoka Blue Revs) 27
22. Faf de Klerk (Canon Eagles) 42
23. Willie le Roux (Toyota Verblitz) 79