Milestones for the Springboks continue to flood in, and this Saturday the most significant one will see lock RG Snyman earn his 50th Test cap, but it also shouldn’t be forgotten how Cheslin Kolbe and Kurt-Lee Arendse are quietly continuing to add to their ‘dream team’ wing combination.
The dynamic duo are already in second place in terms of most caps as a combination (17), and although they will continue to keep adding to that over the next couple of seasons, it will be impossible to catch Bryan Habana and JP Pietersen (44).
Nevertheless, Kolbe and Arendse have already scored 44 tries between the two of them, having firmly established themselves as one of the most lethal wing duos in world rugby.
Cheslin Kolbe and Kurt-Lee Arendse have been key to the Springboks’ success
As Arendse and Kolbe prepare to unite out wide once again this Saturday against Ireland, Cheslin emphasised the importance of capitalising on their point-scoring opportunities in Dublin if they want to break their 13-year losing run against the Irish at the Aviva Stadium.
“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.”
Another tight affair expected
This Saturday’s clash between the Springboks and Ireland will kick off at 19:40 (SA time).
“Whether we’ve played against them in South Africa, here, or on neutral ground, it’s always been 50/50 games,” Kolbe commented. “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.”
