Four wings in squad for World Cup: ‘Bok depth is scary,’ says Kolbe

Springbok star Cheslin Kolbe was not surprised that the Boks picked four wings in their World Cup squad ahead of the showpiece event in France next month, with their impressive back three one of their biggest threats going into the tournament.

Kolbe was probably the first name on the team sheet, but has been joined by rising stars Kurt-Lee Arendse and Canan Moodie, as well as the experienced Makazole Mapimpi, and when you add Willie le Roux and Damian Willemse into the mix it makes for a very imposing attacking threat.

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The Boks head into their warm-up match against Wales in Cardiff on Saturday with Kolbe and Moodie as the two starting wings, with Le Roux at the back and Willemse on the bench and it is likely that Arendse and Mapimpi will get their chance to shine against the All Blacks next week.

Impressive wings

The wings have all impressed so far this season, with Arendse, Kolbe and Moodie all being named man-of-the-match in the Boks’ wins over Australia, Argentina at Ellis Park and Argentina in Buenos Aires respectively, while Mapimpi also impressed in the most recent game.

“Honestly I wasn’t surprised at all. I think the guys that had opportunities during the Rugby Championship have put up their hands and showcased what they can do on the field,” admitted Kolbe.

“I’m obviously delighted for the wings that have been selected and for everybody to hopefully get an opportunity. So no, I’m not surprised.

“We have got much more depth in the squad than 2019. It is actually scary. If someone gets injured, we know the next guy coming in will fill that role and is capable of doing even better.

“The nice thing about this team is that no one is bigger than the next person and whoever gets the opportunity to play, we encourage that person to give him confidence and make sure he is well-prepared.”

Kolisi a major boost

Bok captain Siya Kolisi will be leading the side against Wales this weekend in his first game back from a serious knee surgery and Kolbe admits it is a major boost for the squad to have him back ahead of the World Cup.

“It’s massive for us as a team to have Siya back in the mix. The way he has set his mind to return to play and focus on his rehab, putting in the extra hours with the physios, shows what type of person he is and what this team means to him,” explained Kolbe.

“He means a lot to us as players with his experience and the energy he brings. Even when he was not playing, he was on the sidelines giving input and helping a lot of the guys.”

Looking at the Welsh clash Kolbe is expecting a tough match, particularly with them bringing back a number of senior players into the mix who missed last weekend’s loss against England at Twickenham.

“They’ve brought back a few experienced guys, so they have a nice balance of youth and experience. It is a good team with guys who can run the show, but the important thing for us will be to focus on what we have to do,” said Kolbe.