VIDEO: Kolbe champing at the bit for hard, fast pitch
Ellis Park is a stadium that speaks to the heart of speedsters in any team and someone that is relishing the prospect of playing on the hard and fast pitch for the first time as a Springbok is Cheslin Kolbe.
The Springboks face Argentina in the final round of the Rugby Championship in Johannesburg on Saturday.
Kolbe can make his Ellis Park debut on Saturday if he is included in the match day 23.
The iconic stadium was once called the ‘spiritual home of rugby’ by then England coach Eddie Jones (now coach of the Wallabies).
The list of cons for any international visiting team is endless, which include he altitude issues – the venue is 1,800m above sea level and the aura and hostility of the place are other factors that have troubled South Africa’s opponents over the years.
Not to mention the visitors will confront the weight of history and a very partisan crowd and a large, charged up Bok team.
This pressure cooker of a stadium, while located in a tough neighbourhood of Johannesburg, also has steep stands that create a feeling of the crowd towering over the playing surface, creating a type of claustrophobia.
That is reinforced by the thin air, which leaves players unfamiliar with the conditions gasping to fill their burning lungs.
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“It is true, I haven’t had the opportunity to play at Ellis Park as a Springbok. To get that opportunity will be special,” Kolbe told media at the Springbok hotel in Pretoria on Monday.
“It’s definitely a quick pitch for the type of rugby that I like to play, it will definitely play a big part.
“The pitch, the conditions and the stadium are definitely really fantastic,” a smiling Kolbe said.
He has only ever played there at provincial level and is relishing the opportunity of an international debut on the hallowed turf.
“I have had a lot of good memories there and though ones as well, so I look forward if the opportunity comes.”
Argentina is a team that is known for their physicality on the field, but don’t forget about their incredibly speedy backline.
Wing Rodrigo Isgro is an Olympic Sevens bronze medalist, and together with De La Feunte, Emiliano Boffelli and Mateo Carreras, the Los Pumas can be a huge threat once they get going.
