Cape Town – When Jacques Nienaber was asked on Tuesday what the reasons were for picking Cheslin Kolbe at fullback for Saturday’s Test against Ireland, the Springbok coach was understandably cagey.
Usually, the defence guru goes into great technical detail about almost any issue, but the best he could come up with on Kolbe – someone he has coached for a number of years – was that the Boks just didn’t have an opportunity to pick the 29-year-old speedster at No 15 before ...
That’s a real stretch, given that Kolbe has been part of the national team since 2018, and over the last four years, Willie le Roux hasn’t exactly been convincing at fullback.
In addition, Kolbe played there for the Stormers as well, until he was gradually shifted to wing by then-coach Allister Coetzee.
So, if South Africa wanted to select Kolbe at No 15 before, they could have …
That is why his selection in the last line of defence for the Aviva Stadium showdown is intriguing. Nienaber batted off a concern about the lack of height in the Bok back-three against an Irish team that always probe for space with master flyhalf Johnny Sexton, who will also launch swirling up-and-unders into the Dublin sky.
Could it be that the Boks plan on running the Irish off their feet? They are certainly well equipped to do so. Kolbe, Kurt-Lee Arendse and Makazole Mapimpi are some of the finest attacking threats in world rugby, and they can sniff out any opportunity with ball-in-hand.
They are also courageous on defence and will put their bodies on the line in their tackles, taking high balls and even at the breakdowns.
Then the man with a bag of tricks, Damian Willemse, has the full array of skills to create space and keep the Irish defence honest by either taking the ball up himself or putting teammates away on his inside and outside.
There are a number of dynamic ball-carriers in the pack as well, such as captain Siya Kolisi, locks Eben Etzebeth and Lood de Jager, and powerhouse hooker Malcolm Marx.
The ammunition on the bench is another indication that the world champions are planning to impose themselves on Ireland instead of being reactive.
Deon Fourie and Kwagga Smith are two of the quickest loose forwards around, and they were chosen ahead of Stormers star No 8 Evan Roos, who is a more robust, direct runner.
Add in the rest of the “Bomb Squad” in the shape of Bongi Mbonambi, Ox Nche, Vincent Koch and Franco Mostert, and you have some real firepower on the bench.
So, the table has been decked with almost every luxury item that the Boks could afford to field – except perhaps Stormers flyhalf Manie Libbok on the bench.
The South Africans can fight fire with fire against the Irish, who are renowned for their multi-phase, ball-in-hand approach.
But when the going gets tough in what is likely to be slippery conditions as rain is forecast for Dublin all week long, will Kolisi’s team be brave in an attempt to exorcise the ghosts of November 2017, when the Boks lost 38-3 at the same venue?
Let’s hope so, as it will show the world that the Boks truly have another strategy to complement their traditional style heading to next year’s World Cup …
Springbok team: 15 Cheslin Kolbe 14 Kurt-Lee Arendse 13 Jesse Kriel 12 Damian de Allende 11 Makazole Mapimpi 10 Damian Willemse 9 Jaden Hendrikse 8 Jasper Wiese 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit 6 Siya Kolisi (captain) 5 Lood de Jager 4 Eben Etzebeth 3 Frans Malherbe 2 Malcolm Marx 1 Steven Kitshoff
Replacements: 16 Bongi Mbonambi 17 Ox Nche 18 Vincent Koch 19 Franco Mostert 20 Deon Fourie 21 Kwagga Smith 22 Faf de Klerk 23 Willie le Roux
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