‘If I need to kick, I am confident,’ says Boks’ Cheslin Kolbe

Springbok wing Cheslin Kolbe says he is more than confident enough to take on the responsibility of kicking for poles, if that is what the team management decides going into their Rugby Championship decider against Argentina in Mbombela on Saturday.

Plenty has been said about flyhalf Manie Libbok’s suitability to kick at goal after his crucial miss over the past weekend in Santiago, and coach Rassie Erasmus admitted earlier in the week that they had been planning around that.

If Libbok, who also takes up the kicking duties for his franchise the Stormers, doesn’t kick for goal on Saturday it is likely that either Kolbe or Jaden Hendrikse will take over the duties.

‘Working on my kicking’

Kolbe has the advantage of having kicked for the Boks before, when Damian Willemse was the starting flyhalf back in 2022, and he admits that he has been working hard on it in case he is ever needed.

“I have been working on it (kicking) throughout the season and getting tips and advice from guys like Handre (Pollard), Manie, and coach Tony (Brown) as well,” said Kolbe.

“It helps me, gives me that confidence, so I am comfortable doing so and I have been working on my kicking which is good.

“You never know what could happen on the day and if that does happen, as long as I am confident, I am happy to help and contribute to the team in any way I can.

“So I am not sure who is taking over yet, but whoever it is, will take over the responsibility. If I kick on Saturday, I kick. I worked on my kicking last season. If it happens that I need to kick, I am confident enough and happy to do it for the team.”

Argentina challenge

The Boks need just one point from the game to seal the Rugby Championship title, but Argentina are still in the running and need a bonus point win to stand any chance of picking up their first title, and Kolbe is aware of the challenge they will pose.

“They’ve certainly developed as a team over the years, and this year they’ve shown the style of rugby they want to play, so it’s going to be a massive challenge on Saturday,” admitted Kolbe.

“There’s a lot of confidence and excitement in their team especially after beating Australia, New Zealand and us this season. But that said, we need to focus on ourselves and be ready for them because they can create something out of nothing.

“It’s a final this weekend, and it is going to a huge game. They’ll be super hungry and excited about this opportunity, just like us.

“We may have played a in few finals, but one can never bank on what happened in the past. This is going to be a big game against a determined team, so we must be at our best for the full 80 minutes.”