Cheslin Kolbe has emphasised the importance of accuracy as the Springboks chase their first win against Ireland since 2016 when the teams clash in Pretoria on Saturday.
The match is expected to be an intense battle given the rivalry between the sides, and even more so following the Boks’ 13-8 defeat against Ireland during the pool stages of the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France.
“Looking back, there were a lot of learnings we could take from the last match we played against them,” said Kolbe, who scored the Boks’ only try in the Paris match.
“It brought us back down to earth during the World Cup. But that’s history. Our focus is now on this weekend’s game. There are a few other players getting an opportunity, and as a team we want to bring the physicality, back ourselves, and enjoy the occasion.”
With Saturday’s meeting playing out at Loftus Versfeld, altitude will come into play, but Kolbe didn’t expect it to have a big influence on the outcome of the Test.
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“When I got back from Japan it took time to get used to the altitude, but we’ve been here for a few weeks now and Ireland have also been here for a few days, so we cannot count on that,” said the two-time World Cup winner.
“We need to go out there and implement what we’ve been working on this week and be accurate in our execution.”
The Boks may enter the match as the world champions, but Kolbe said they will have to work very hard for victory: “It’s certainly not a case of us taking the field and banking on a victory. We need to play good rugby and be effective in what we do.”
The winger spoke highly of the Boks’ new attack coach Tony Brown and said he enjoyed the new dimension he has been trying to bring to their game.
“The way he thinks about the game and sees things is very exciting,” said Kolbe. “So, we are looking forward to implementing what we’ve been working on. Ireland are a quality team so we capitalise on the chances we create.”
Photo: Xavier Laine/Getty Images
The post Kolbe: We’ve a chance to create history appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
Src: sarugbymag.co.za
