Springbok wing Cheslin Kolbe emphasised the importance of capitalising on their point-scoring opportunities when the Boks line up against Ireland in Dublin on Saturday, if they want to break their 13-year losing run against the Irish at the Aviva Stadium.
Matches between the teams have been very close in the last few years, and Kolbe admitted that the Boks’ inability to make the most of their chance in the last outing between the teams in Dublin in 2022 came at a high price – Ireland won the match 19-16.
“Whichever team you play for, especially for the Springboks, you would obviously love to win every match,” said Kolbe.
“Personally, I haven’t won here. We came close in 2022, but we didn’t capitalise on a few opportunities and shots at goal, and that definitely cost us.
“It would obviously be massive for the team, for our growth, and the way we want to move forward (if we can get the result), but our focus is on trying to ensure that we train as well as we can this week, and that we’re confident going into the weekend so we can play a good game of rugby.”
Kolbe added: “Whether we’ve played against them in South Africa, here, or on neutral ground, it’s always been 50/50 games, so we must implement what we want to do and what the coaches have set out for us this weekend, and also be able to adapt to the scenarios that play out on the field.
“Matches between SA and Ireland are always massive, so it’s going to be as physical as it can get. They are a well-coached team, with a good structure to their game, so if you’re not up for it on the day, they can definitely hurt you.”
Kolbe expected a tough aerial contest in the match, saying: “Overall, rugby has changed a lot. Kicking has become a big weapon for all the teams.
“Having watched their game last weekend (against Australia), their kicking game has definitely improved, and they’ve been capitalising quite a lot on getting into the air. They have been more desperate than other teams to win those opportunities.”
Kolbe was full of praise for his three team-mates, Ox Nche, Malcolm Marx, and Pieter-Steph du Toit, who were all nominated for the World Rugby Men’s 15s Player of the Year award and said it rubberstamped how well the forwards have been performing this year.
“I’m very excited for them,” said Kolbe. “All three of them are forwards, which says a lot about what we’ve done throughout the year. They don’t get the credit they deserve, so well done to them.”