Johannesburg — Cheslin Kolbe will make a welcome return to the Springboks this weekend against Ireland after a lengthy injury, but it will be in the unfamiliar surrounds of fullback — at Test level at least — that he will take to the field at the Aviva Stadium.
The fleet-footed 29-year-old usually plys his trade in the green and gold at wing, but on Saturday he will have much greater responsibility in attack and defence from the rear of the backline. It will be his first outing in the No 15 jumper at this level.
The selection was wholly expected, and on Tuesday during the media briefing at the team announcement, Bok caoch Jacques Nienaber explained his reasoning.
“Cheslin at fullback, I would probably say after about three or four games since he started with us in 2018, he was always a realistic option for us at No 15,” said Nienaber.
“He trained at No 15 often. We were just never forced to play him there.
“There was never an opportunity for him to play there for us. We feel like in this specific game having Cheslin at fullback will serve us the best.”
Playing at fullback in this Bok setup brings with it the expectation of joining the No 10 channel, and periodically running the back-line in attack — as noted by Willie le Roux’s role in recent months. In this regard, Kolbe will form an important rapport with Damian Willemse, who will start the encounter at No 10.
It will also give Kolbe more opportunity to unleash his offensive abilities, whether that is from fullback or flyhalf — a position that he will act as cover for, if anything untoward happens to Willemse.
“Yes, Cheslin will be our flyhalf,” Nienaber said.
“He has been being utilised as a flyhalf often, especially for Toulouse (Kolbe’s former Top 14 club). When the French team managed Romain (Ntamack), they expected (Kolbe) to play flyhalf for them quite often.
“He is a very skilful player and that is the nice thing – having the versatility of a guy like Cheslin that can play fullback for you, that can play wing for you, and can cover you at flyhalf. Especially, if you want to utilize a 6-2 split, it is quite important.”
Kolbe will form a new back-three combination with the returning Kurt-Lee Arendse, and the effervescent Makazole Mapimpi. They will not be the biggest out-back combo the Boks have ever fielded, but what they lack in height, they will make up for in courage, talent, skill and pace.
“Cheslin is probably a little bit shorter than Willie, but Mampimi is still the same,” Nienaber said. “When we played against New Zealand, Kurt-Lee was there.
“In stature they are probably a bit shorter than what we are used to but with Canan (Moodie) being out, those are the cards that we have been dealt. I am comfortable that they will be able to handle whatever Ireland throws their way.”