Kolbe expecting more big things from rookie Bok star Arendse

Springboks winger Cheslin Kolbe says there’s still plenty to come from team-mate Kurt-Lee Arendse after his Man of the Match performance against the Wallabies in the opening game of the Rugby Championship last Saturday.

Arendse, with a hat trick of tries, was one of the standout performers as the Boks ran riot in beating the Wallabies 43-12 in front of a packed crowd at Loftus Versfeld.

Kolbe, who was part of the group that was sent to New Zealand earlier last week to acclimatise and prepare for the upcoming Test against the All Blacks at the Mount Smart Stadium on Saturday, was impressed by how his fellow Boks dispatched the Wallabies.

‘Opportunity’

“It was a wonderful performance from the team,” Kolbe said when speaking to the media during a virtual squad announcement briefing on Tuesday.

“It’s always great to see players get an opportunity and then to perform as well as they did. It was definitely great to see the way the boys played,” said the 2019 Rugby World Cup winner.

Like many, Kolbe was wowed by the still fairly Test inexperienced Arendse, who scored three tries and looked dangerous every time he touched the ball last Saturday. Kolbe said there was plenty more to come from the former Sevens player.

World Cup back three

“It is really exciting for Kurt-Lee and what he’s been doing since he started. I’m sure there’s a lot of amazing things to come,” said Kolbe.

Against the All Blacks on Saturday morning (SA time), Kolbe will form part of a World Cup final back-three along with Makazole Mapimpi and Willie le Roux, the latter having played against the Wallabies last weekend, but for the two wingers it is a first chance to shine on the big stage this season.

The encounter will be Kolbe’s fifth time squaring up with the All Blacks and Kolbe is expecting the Test to be as intense as ever.

“It’s been a rivalry for years, and whenever the Springboks and New Zealand meet it’s always a tough battle and it’ll continue to be that way,” Kolbe said.

“It’s going to be an exciting Test match, one that I’m sure each and every player is looking forward to.”