It may be one of the strangest things to hear, but Springbok winger Cheslin Kolbe will make his “debut” at Emirates Airline Park this Saturday when he faces Argentina.
Kolbe, who will play his 24th test for the Boks, has played Super Rugby and Currie Cup at the venue but strangely has never started a test on the iconic ground.
And for that reason he wants to make it count.
“I’ve never played at Emirates Airline Park as a Springbok, so if I get the opportunity to play, it would be fantastic,” said Kolbe when asked about it on Tuesday.
“The atmosphere at the stadium is electric and we’d love it if people come out in numbers and support us. It’s our last home game before we leave for the World Cup, so it would be special to play in front of a passionate crowd.”
The prospect of a Bok backline using the great conditions for running rugby on a winter’s evening is definitely something to look forward to. And by all accounts the Boks are looking to put in a solid performance ahead of the World Cup selection.
Kolbe agrees that the fast pitch will suit his game and is keen to get going.
"It is definitely a quick pitch for the type of rugby I like to play. The pitch and conditions are really fantastic. I've had some good memories there and some tough ones, but I’m looking forward to playing there.”
There has been a lot of introspection after the loss to the All Blacks and Kolbe is not escaped the feeling in the squad that amends must be made, especially after a horror start that cost them the game against the All Blacks.
"We need to pitch up on game day. There is a lot we can take out and learn from that game. There is always room for improvement. We were not close to playing at our best. We were dominated in the first 20 minutes,” he explained.
Facing Argentina would be a different challenge and there is likely - given the altitude - to be a lot of tactical kicking, something he needs to be aware of, but the fleet-footed try scorer knows if he can weather the storm, he can unleash his own talents to get the crowd on their feet.
"There will be a massive aerial battle in this game I think. The Argentina boys have shown what they can do these last two weeks. The outside backs they have are guys who've been on the Sevens circuit and bring quite a lot to the team in terms of X-factor. We have to make sure we are well prepared.”
And if he gets the ball on a hard field and in space, you know the rest. The Bok forwards need to give that platform and Kolbe has shown how dangerous he is on attack.
If it all comes together, his first test at the stadium could be quite memorable.