Springbok wing Cheslin Kolbe is relishing the opportunity of facing the All Blacks at Eden Park in Auckland for the first time in his career in the third round of the Castle Lager Rugby Championship on Saturday. The eagerly anticipated match will kick off at 9am (SA time).
Bok coach Rassie Erasmus will announce his match-23 on Thursday. But Kolbe said the fact that the Springboks had not defeated their arch rivals at Eden Park since 1937 made it one of the matches to cherish if he is named in the team. He has described it as one of the “special” matches to participate in.
“Every opportunity I receive to play against the All Blacks, especially with all the history behind matches between the sides, is massive. And that is a sentiment we all share,” said Kolbe on the SA Rugby website.
Number 1-ranked team in the world
“We are facing the number 1-ranked team in the world currently. And as a player, you want to measure yourself against them individually and as a team to see where you are and if you are still on par, so I’m excited.
“I have also never played at Eden Park before. But I’ve heard many great things about it. So I’ll be thrilled if I get the opportunity to play this weekend.”
Kolbe was asked about the fact that the Boks have not enjoyed much success at the iconic stadium. This is where they last played in 2013 (going down 29-15 against the hosts).
He said: “The past is history. There’s nothing we can do about that. All we can do is focus on what we can do now. And whoever gets the chance to play needs to go out there and enjoy the occasion. A lot can change in a season. And the main thing for us is to continue improving and developing as a team,” he added.
