There appears to be no stopping what Cheslin Kolbe is capable of. Apart from his try scoring exploits on the wing for the Springboks, who will forget that freakish moment at the last World Cup where he charged down Thomas Ramos’ attempted conversion for France in the quarterfinal. Looking back, that may well have been the RWC-winning moment.
Of course, there’s a lot more. Seeing the All Blacks are the opponents in Saturday’s third Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry test, there was that intercept try in Wellington last year that converted the Boks’ on-field dominance into points and started what quickly became an inexorable drive to a record breaking 43-10 win over South Africa’s greatest foes.
Foes, let it be added, that were, like for many in the Cape communities, Kolbe’s inspiration when he was growing up. All Black fullback Christian Cullen was an early hero. He admitted in an interview on the eve of the first test of the RGR series at Ellis Park that some of his friends are still All Black supporters, although he has converted a lot of them.
And now Kolbe has taken on a new role. He’s taken being a part-time place kicker to a whole new level, and he heads into the FNB Stadium test on Saturday having been on target with all his kicks at posts so far in the series.
That is 12 out of 12, something Handre Pollard would be proud of, and it has freed up Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu to focus on his primary role as a playmaking flyhalf, and the back-up No 10 Manie Libbok too.
DOBBO’S WORDS WERE A MASSIVE INSPIRATION
In this game he returns to the position where it all started for him, fullback, with Western Province in the Vodacom Cup all those years ago under the coaching of John Dobson. Which cues a comment that Dobson, who will soon be coaching Kolbe again as the Hoerskool Brackenfell product has officially been a Stormers player again since 1 July, made at the start of Kolbe’s career.
We in the Cape media didn’t know much about him back then so it was understandable that some scoffed when Dobson, never shy to promote his players, said that Kolbe would go on to become “a global superstar”.
He was only 19 at the time, and was diminutive rather than the muscular winger that was in vogue at the time, but Dobson seemed convinced.
“Actually when it came out there was a huge thing about it and my boy watches it all the time. It was a nice thing to hear. It gives you confidence and makes you believe in yourself,” recalls Kolbe.
“It was a big motivator, but yes I was very young and had done nothing big in the 15-man game to that point so it was quite a weird feeling to hear that. At that time I had just signed a one-year contract to play Vodacom Cup for WP after my career had reached a bit of a cross-roads. I nearly gave up rugby at that point of my life.”
NEARLY GAVE UP RUGBY
What? Nearly gave up rugby? That’s where Dobson’s important role in shaping Kolbe and by extension South African rugby history gains even greater gravitas.
“I was thinking of going to study. I wasn’t too sure then. I just wasn’t sure I wanted to carry on with rugby,” says the now 32-year-old Bok star.
“I’d played age-group rugby for WP but wasn’t sure if I was going to make it in the professional ranks and whether it was a career choice. But then I got that call from Dobbo and it changed my life.”
It was Dobson’s support and faith in him that got the momentum into Kolbe’s career and everything followed on from there.
“When I started to believe there might be substance to Dobbo’s view was when he played me in all the games (of that 2012 season). You just start getting confidence when you play week in and week out.
“After that, getting into the Currie Cup team was a big next step. Playing a higher level of rugby and moving up just grows your confidence and then of course I got into the Stormers team. That pitted me against the top players from New Zealand and Australia. When you realise you can compete and do well against those guys then naturally the self belief follows.”
SIZE PREJUDICES FUELLED WORK ETHIC
No story about Kolbe is complete though without mentioning his early struggles against the perception that he was too small to make it on the big stage, something that may have persisted right until he first exploded onto the international stratosphere with the Boks.
“It (the preoccupation with my size) did get to me every now and then. I would have a good game but then miss a few tackles and there would be an article saying it shows I would not be able to come up against and compete with the big boys. That I wasn’t physical enough to play at that level. It happened during my school career and then it followed me into my professional career. But it became a challenge. I went out to prove to myself and to other people that the perception was wrong.”
BOK DREAM TOOK BACK SEAT WITH MOVE TO FRANCE
He did that and then some, but it was still not a seamless journey for Kolbe to where he is now as a celebrated Bok who has more than 50 test caps to his name. Indeed, when he left Cape Town to further his career in France in 2017 he was under no illusions that he might be giving up his chance of playing 15-man rugby for his country. But at the same time, he didn’t really feel he was on the national radar.
“Back then there was a 30 cap rule in place. Meaning that if you went overseas after playing 30 games for the Boks you could still play for them. Obviously I hadn’t played any games for the Boks,” Koble explained.
“But I never stopped hoping that one day I would get to pull on the Springbok jersey. When I went to France the plan was always to play well enough that whoever the Bok coach was would be aware of me. In my mind though I was obviously aware that by making the decision to go to France meant that for now my Bok chances were done.
“I had played a few years of Super Rugby but I had never got a breakthrough and was starting a young family back then. So I felt it was time to challenge myself somewhere else. And as tough as it was in 2017, if I look back at it now I don’t regret it at all. I have learned so much, I developed so much during my time in France.”
HE WASN’T PART OF RASSIE’S INITIAL PLAN
Kolbe never had any communication with any of the Bok coaches while he was in France. Allister Coetzee was the Bok coach when he first moved, and obviously Coetzee would have known Kolbe well after coaching him at the Stormers.
He was replaced by Rassie Erasmus, who when he came in also changed the 30 cap rule that would have stood in Coetzee’s way, but even Rassie didn’t immediately feature Kolbe in his thoughts and plans for the Boks. In fact, Kolbe’s elevation to Bok status appeared to come about more by accident than anything else, and it might have taken his coaches as much by surprise as it did him.
“Towards the start of the 2018 season I had a decent game for my club. On the Monday morning I got into the meeting room and the coaches were there and when I sat down it just felt like there was something odd in the air,” he recalls.
“They were treating me a bit differently. I can clearly remember William Sabat, the forwards coach who is now with France, coming to me and he said ‘Now you can bring us some biltong’. I said ‘What are you on about?’ Then the coach came in and he just shook his head.
"By now I was really confused. I hadn’t had a call from my agent, from Rassie or anyone. But they told me I was leaving, I think it was on Wednesday, to go to Australia to join the Springboks.
“I didn’t have a visa, I had nothing, so jeez, how was this going to happen? I was over the moon. The club was also very happy for me, they knew I was being called up before I did or anyone else did. I was very grateful to them because they could have said ‘Hey, we are paying you to play for us and you are only in your second season’.
"The first thing I did after that was call my wife to tell her I had some good news. I called my dad straight after that. He was just quiet, and then he put the phone down. He phoned me back a minute later and asked ‘Are you serious?’ I said ja, the coaches have just informed me. I am flying to Australia.”
INJURIES PAVED THE WAY
When he flew out from France he didn’t know what awaited him in Australia. There had been injuries, which was why he’d been called up, but at the time there was still a queue of players ahead of him.
“When I got to the hotel in Brisbane the rest of the squad was training. I chilled in my room and then went to the hotel reception to pick up a pair of scissors.
"When I was down there the team arrived at the hotel and Coach Rassie came to me and said ‘Listen, welcome to the team. Do you have any injuries? Anything to worry about?’ When I said no he said if that is the case you just slot in and we see how it goes and we see you on the training field.
“I thought jeez, normally coaches have one-on-ones. Because myself and Siya (Kolisi) are good mates I went to his room and asked him ‘Is there not going to be a one-on-one (with the coach)? How does selection work with the Springboks?’
“Siya said you just walk in on Monday morning and the team will be announced or put on the screen. If you are in you are in. During that week Coach Rassie told me there had been quite a lot of injuries and that he knew I could also play fullback and that was why he had called me up.
"But he also told me straight that I was fifth in line. He said he understood I couldn’t absorb a lot of information in just a few days, so if you do get out onto the field just be yourself and express yourself to the best of your ability. Play what you see. I was like jeez, this feels good.”
THE TRY THAT SET HIM ON HIS WAY
Kolbe was selected on the bench for that game against the Wallabies and came onto the field for his debut in the 60th minute. The real breakthrough moment was to come the following week though, against the All Blacks in Wellington.
“I was on the bench again in Wellington. It was a game the coaches had been building up to since they first knew they were going to take the Bok job in 2017,” he explained.
“We hadn’t beaten the All Blacks for a long time over there and they felt it was important that we make that breakthrough. Lukhanyo (Am) got injured in the first half but when we went into halftime I was just making sure everyone needed what they needed because I wasn’t expecting to go on. I thought Lukhanyo was going to try and give it another crack.
“But Rassie indicated I was on in the second half. I remember thinking this is going to be quite something as in the first half I had sat on the side and noted the massive collisions. I remember thinking this is a proper test match.
"So I got out there in the second half and tried to get into the game as quick as I could and the next thing I found myself between two attacking players and I just went for the interception and scored my first test try. And it was against New Zealand in New Zealand, which was obviously very special.”
It was indeed, and since then, two winning World Cup finals and three Rugby Championship wins later, Kolbe hasn’t looked back. And on Saturday he is in the position where it all started, and is back living where it all started.
“I am excited to be back in Cape Town, and really excited to be back at the Stormers. It was where my professional career started, and while it was a simple decision to move back because my wife and kids have always been based in Cape Town, I have always remained a supporter of the Stormers (from afar).
“It also just felt the time was right to come home, to be playing for the Stormers again. There are some exciting players in the squad. I want to enjoy my rugby and give back to the club and coach that started it all for me.”