Springbok assistant coach Matt Proudfoot says Cheslin Kolbe is a player who can create something out of nothing.
Kolbe joined the Boks for their first training session on Monday in Brisbane, where they are preparing for Saturday’s Rugby Championship match against the Wallabies.
Proudfoot, who worked with Kolbe at the Stormers, said it was good to have Kolbe with the team and that a big part of the Boks’ focus for this week will be their consistency and execution of opportunities.
‘We are excited to have Cheslin in the side,’ Proudfoot said. ‘I think he deserves his chance in the group because I think he has really performed well [in France for Toulouse].
‘I obviously know him well from my coaching days at the Stormers, and he is the type of player who can really create something out of nothing.
‘We felt we played really well in Durban and let ourselves down in Argentina with our execution, so we are looking for the same consistency and to play with the same level of physicality like in Durban,’ Proudfoot added. ‘Our execution, whether at the breakdown or from set pieces, needs to improve across the board.’
COLUMN: Boks must make best use of Kolbe
‘They will be determined to bounce back and will no doubt be in our faces, so we need to prepare with the same intensity that we can expect from them on Saturday.
‘We are in fact two teams looking to bounce back, so I think this game is going to be crucial for both sides, to see how each one responds. It will be a tight game played on the advantage line by both sides who will be looking to get on the front foot.’
Photo: Carl Fourie/Gallo Images