South Africa’s star wing Cheslin Kolbe delivered a masterclass on the field and an emotional tribute off it, following the Springboks' thrilling 33-26 victory over the All Blacks at DHL Stadium.
Seven days after a painful defeat at Ellis Park left the squad reeling, Kolbe rose to the occasion in his hometown. Filling in as the primary goal-kicker, he delivered a flawless 18-point exhibition from the tee to earn the Player of the Match award and level the fiercely contested series 1-1.
“When you lose, the team is always going to come back with a point to prove,” Kolbe reflected after the final whistle.
For Kolbe, the victory was about much more than redemption on the scoreboard. It was about healing the collective heartbreak of South African rugby fans who felt the sting of the previous week's loss.
Kolbe touched on the heavy vibe from Bok fans ahead of the team’s return to the Highveld for the next chapter of the rivalry.
“We could feel the atmosphere, not negativity but less energy, throughout the week because of the loss last week,” he admitted. “As they always say, when we lose, it’s ’n Blou Maandag. We felt that, but we just wanted to rectify it.”
The atmosphere in Cape Town provided the ultimate backdrop for the bounce-back performance, with the streets of the Mother City painted in green and gold all weekend.
“Coming after a loss to still see all the support... all the green and gold jerseys in the stadium, but also in the streets... it's special,” Kolbe said. “We just wanted to do the jersey proud, our families proud. It wasn’t easy at all; we needed to stay in the fight. It’s going to be like that for the next two matches.”
On his lethal goal-kicking form, the Stormers-bound star credited his recent club stint in Japan and Springbok assistant coach Tony Brown for sharpening his skills in front of the uprights.
“This season in Japan, I had the responsibility of taking over the goal-kicking, and that’s contributed to my style and technique,” Kolbe explained. “I can also give credit to the coaches in Japan, and Tony in the Springbok set-up is doing a few things for me so I can get more consistency.
“That’s the same for every rugby player; you always need to bring something new to the team … it’s contributing to the team’s success.”
While the victory sparks nationwide celebration, the two-time World Cup winner was quick to remind his teammates that the job is far from finished. As attention shifts to the third Test at FNB Stadium, Kolbe issued a stern warning against complacency.
“We need to go back on Monday and see where we didn’t capitalise on opportunities,” Kolbe insisted. “New Zealand are a quality team; they attack well, and they cut us open a few times. We definitely need to look at where we can improve and get better as a team.
“As long as we keep our feet on the ground and continue to put in the work throughout the week, then we can go in confident on the weekends. There is a lot more to come.”