Cheslin Kolbe may be one of the most experienced Springboks, but he’s constantly working to improve his game and remains eager to learn from the youngsters.
The superstar wing, who has been out of action with a broken jaw and will miss the Boks’ Nations Championship campaign in Europe, spoke to former teammate Steven Kitshoff on the For the Love of Rugby South Africa podcast about the areas of his game he is still sharpening and the culture that helps new Boks hit the ground running.
Kolbe said kicking contests are a daily focus, as opposition teams keep finding new ways to compete in the air.
“Rugby evolves every day, every year,” he said. “Teams get smarter all the time, and up until now kicking has been a massive part of that. Whether that’s chasing or getting high balls. I think high balls is one thing that I work on almost every day, because teams come up with certain ways to contest and get into the space and you just need to try and counter that.
“Obviously [also] your defence, your attack, and just wanting to see where you can fill in on the field and be an option for especially the 10s and 9s and 12s.
“But for me it’s literally everything I want to try and get better. Make sure I stay on top of it, because there’s no rugby player that’s a perfect rugby player.
“I love learning, I love growing, and I love trying to bring something different all the time, because you know how it goes: you get analysed. You need to bring something different all the time to the field, and staying consistent with that is quite crucial.”
On the youngsters, Kolbe said South Africa is blessed with talent, and that learning flows both ways in the Springbok environment.
“It doesn’t matter how young or how experienced you are: the guy who’s just starting his professional career or Test career asks questions in meetings, asks questions from guys he wants to learn from. And vice versa.
“For us who’ve been there for a number of years, we want to learn from those young players as well, because they bring a different energy and they’re excited all the time.”
He believes today’s newcomers are built a little differently.
“When I started, I was nervous. I’m sure they’re nervous as well, because they care for the team, but the amount of calmness they show, it feels like they’ve been there for years or they’ve seen this before. I was all over the show, but the younger guys today have so much more composure.”
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Photo: Steve Haag/Gallo Images
The post King Kolbe still learning appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
Cheslin Kolbe may be one of the most experienced Springboks, but he’s constantly working to improve his game and remains eager to learn from the youngsters.
The post King Kolbe still learning appeared first on SA Rugby magazine. Read More
