Delighted Cheslin Kolbe says facing the All Blacks is always tough
Cheslin Kolbe says the Springboks won't get complacent after winning against Australia, as the team will face the All Blacks next.
Cheslin Kolbe is delighted with the history-making tour of Australia, but isn’t getting complacent ahead of the home Tests against the All Blacks.
The Springboks top the Rugby Championship after claiming back-to-back bonus-point victories over the Wallabies in Brisbane and Perth.
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A 33-7 tournament-opening win in Brisbane saw the Springboks claim their first victory at a sold-out Suncorp Stadium since 2013, and the world champions followed that up by claiming back-to-back wins over the Wallabies in Australia for the first time since 1971 in Perth.
Although delighted with the team’s start to the southern hemisphere spectacle, Kolbe said that the job is far from done.
“We are very excited that we could build on last week’s result, and it was particularly pleasing with all the players getting opportunities to play,” said Kolbe.
“It was special, but there’s a lot more to come. We certainly couldn’t have asked for a better start in the competition especially winning two games away from home, but we have to progress as the competition goes on.”
Next up for the Springboks are two home Tests against the All Blacks in Johannesburg and Cape Town.
It will be the first time that the rivals face off since the 2023 World Cup final, when the Boks held out for a 12-11 win in Paris.
“We’ll keep our feet on the ground and continue working hard in the weeks leading up to the games against New Zealand in South Africa which is going to be massive,” said Kolbe. “As a team we are looking forward giving back in South Africa at the packed stadiums.
“As coach Rassie (Erasmus) said after the game, we haven’t achieved this in years, and we are definitely in a good position (in the competition), but we won’t just leave it at that and be complacent because we know the next two games are going to be tough.
“Tests between the All Blacks and Springboks are always tough matches.”
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