Opportunity knocks for Kolbe in key Bok role

OPINION: Cheslin Kolbe’s game management will be in the spotlight this Saturday as Rassie Erasmus weighs up his options ahead of the big tour matches against France and Ireland.

There were relatively few surprises when the Springbok match 23 to play Japan at Wembley Stadium was named earlier this week.

Since the conclusion of the Rugby Championship, Erasmus has spoken about the unique challenges of a five-match tour to Europe, and how the first Test against the Brave Blossoms will present certain players with a chance to shake off the rust ahead of a more demanding assignment against France in Paris.

As expected, nine Japan-based players have been included in the team for Saturday, with Erasmus opting to rest Pieter-Steph du Toit, who also plays his club rugby in the Far East.

The team includes several combinations that may feature in the marquee tour matches against France and Ireland, as well as a few experimental selections.

Johan Grobbelaar, who is yet to feature for the Boks in 2025, finds himself on the bench, while the Bulls and SA Rugby attempt to overturn Jan-Hendrik Wessels’ ban for foul play in the recent United Rugby Championship fixture against Connacht.

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Debutant Zachary Porthen is fast-tracked to the starting side, with Bath-based tighthead Thomas du Toit missing the Tests staged outside the international window, and Wilco Louw featuring from the bench.

Erasmus has made some intriguing selections on the bench, with hybrid players André Esterhuizen and Kwagga Smith included in a six-two split between forwards and backs.

Esterhuizen has been listed as loose-forward cover, and yet, the Boks coaches might use the versatile player in the backs, should the need arise.

Indeed, we will only discover whether Erasmus has selected a six-two or a five-three split – or possibly a four-four – once the subs are deployed at Wembley on Saturday.

The most significant selection in the context of the tour as a whole is at fullback, where Cheslin Kolbe replaces Damian Willemse, who sustained a hamstring injury while on duty for the Stormers against Benetton last week.

It’s worth rewinding a week or two when the 36-man squad was first announced.

Veteran fullback Willie le Roux was omitted from that group, as well as the 10-man standby list.

Willemse was the only “specialist” named in the wider group of 46 – which was interesting, given the demands of the tour and the unlikelihood of one fullback starting against Japan, France, Italy, Ireland and Wales in consecutive weeks.

Erasmus and his coaches clearly wanted to see whether the Boks could cope without Le Roux on a five-week tour that simulates the environment and challenges of a World Cup campaign.

And yet, with Aphelele Fassi recovering from a long-term injury, it was never clear who might share the fullback duties with Willemse.

Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu appeared an ideal candidate to fulfil the Le Roux role – as a second flyhalf and leader who manages the team from the back.

While not a like-for-like replacement, Edwill van der Merwe has played No 15 for the Sharks in recent weeks, and may have been touted as an option.

Fast forward to the present, where Erasmus has opted for Kolbe – who last started at No.15 for the Boks against Ireland in 2022.

Is the decision to move Kolbe to fullback a stop-gap solution for a match against Japan – who are
currently in a rebuilding phase and ranked 13th in the world?

Or do the Bok coaches view Kolbe as a realistic fullback option in the big Tests?

The latter is an important question, as Le Roux’s powers are waning and at 36 he is unlikely to go to the 2027 World Cup.

Willemse and Fassi are the obvious successors, but Erasmus has to plan for a World Cup scenario
in which the first- and second- choice fullbacks are unavailable.

If Willemse doesn’t recover from his ailment in the next week or so, the Bok boss will have an answer regarding Kolbe’s suitability for the role.

In a sense, Willemse’s injury has spared Erasmus a selection headache on the wing.

Kurt-Lee Arendse has returned after missing most of the Rugby Championship due to injury, but would Erasmus have dropped Ethan Hooker if all four back-three options – Willemse, Kolbe, Arendse and Hooker – were fit?

The combination of Kolbe, Hooker and Arendse has a lot of potential, but is untried.

Fortunately, Erasmus will have an opportunity to trial the new combination against Japan, before the high-stakes games against France and Ireland.

Feinberg-Mngomezulu could still be a option.

One would expect the Stormers player to get some game time at fullback at Wembley, when Manie Libbok comes off the bench to play flyhalf in the second half.

Looking ahead to France, we may witness a similar dynamic at play.

Handré Pollard may come off the bench and Feinberg-Mngomezulu could move to fullback – a ploy that would give the Boks two outstanding tactical-kicking options, and ensure that their best goal-kicker (Pollard) is on hand to slot a potential match-winner.

Erasmus tends to select his line-ups well before a campaign, and the group may already know who is set to play in Paris next week.

But if Kolbe has a blinder against Japan and Willemse doesn’t recover, Erasmus may be tempted to persist with the back-three experiment.

Overall, one would expect the bulk of the team selected for Wembley to feature in Paris.

That said, Pieter-Steph du Toit and his namesake Thomas should be back next week, as will Eben Etzebeth.

Pollard may feature, and Erasmus himself has hinted at the selection of Canan Moodie – who had an outstanding Rugby Championship campaign.

If Wessels is cleared, he may return to the bench, and Erasmus will hope for good news regarding Willemse’s hamstring.

The make-up of the bench will be a talking point – even more so in light of Erasmus’ selections for the clash against Japan.

The Boks have favoured a five-three split against Les Bleus in the past, but Erasmus may pick Esterhuizen to give his side more options and keep the French guessing regarding their second-half strategy.

While the coach is likely to select his strongest available side for that must-win clash, he may well
spring a surprise or two.