Dynamic wing Cheslin Kolbe delivered a chilling warning that the best is yet to come from the Springboks as they gear up for what promises to be an epic Rugby Championship double-header against Argentina over the next two weekends.
The Boks face Los Pumas at Estadio Unico Madre Ciudades in Santiago on Saturday, before a return match on home soil in Mbombela on September 28.
Though the dominant Boks remain unbeaten in the tournament, Kolbe said SA planned to turn up the heat in the final two games.
Kolbe is among seven players rested for Saturday’s clash with an eye on the final round match in SA.
The seven players not in Argentina are hooker Bongi Mbonambi, prop Frans Malherbe, loose forward Pieter-Steph du Toit, flyhalf Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, centre Damian de Allende, wing Kolbe and fullback Willie le Roux.
“We’re undefeated up until now but we haven’t been playing our best rugby,” Kolbe said. “We can’t get carried away, there’s so much to improve on and learn from, especially the two New Zealand matches. That’s the beauty of the sport, we have another opportunity in the next couple of weeks, the job isn’t done.”
Kolbe also highlighted how less experienced players such as Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Aphelele Fassi had quickly become leaders within the dressing room.
“You’d swear they’ve been in the team for five years,” he said. “Their composure, and how well they remain calm under pressure is impressive. They have a lot of new tricks, and I’m trying to grab as much and stay on par with them.
“We had a good start, playing our first two Tests in Australia, of which we didn’t have a good record there for a couple of years. We couldn’t ask for a better start with two bonus point wins and coming back to our country and playing in front of our home crowd was special.”
Kolbe made his Springbok debut against Australia in 2018 during round three of the Rugby Championship.
Since then, he’s gone on to win two Rugby World Cups, a British & Irish Lions tour, and the Freedom Cup, and is in line to lift his second Rugby Championship title, the first coming back in 2019.
“I feel like I’ve grown on and off the field since coming into the Bok set-up,” he said.
“A special thanks must go to the coaches that I’ve been working with, and more so the players around me for making it possible for me to be at my best when wearing the green and gold jersey. I’ve been given the licence to be myself, and play what’s in front of me, but I’m still learning.”
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