Kolbe to call the shots for Blitzbokke

Blitzbokke coach Neil Powell says that the withdrawals of Cecil Afrika and Werner Kok have presented Cheslin Kolbe with a chance to shine.

Springbok Sevens coach Neil Powell says that the injury withdrawals of Cecil Afrika and Werner Kok have presented Cheslin Kolbe with a chance to shine. The Stormers dynamo seldom needs a second invitation to take the gap.

The Blitzboks will be at Cape Town Stadium on Saturday to contest the second tournament on the Sevens World Series circuit.

“Seeing that Cecil is not there, it’s an opportunity for Cheslin to step up and take the lead, and the responsibility, for being the playmaker and decision-maker in the team,” Powell said yesterday.

“Justin Geduld and Rosco Speckman can also do that, and I think all three will definitely make the step up.”

Afrika (hamstring) and Kok (knee) have had to step out of selection contention this week. Powell confirmed that the former is only expected to miss the Cape Town leg of the season, but Kok is set for a longer spell on the sidelines.

“We should have Cecil back (for the third leg in New Zealand on January 30) next year, but Werner picked up a knee injury in Dubai (last week) and he’s going to be out for a while. He’s going in for his operation on Thursday and after that we’ll be able to establish how long he’ll be out for.

“We’ve lost a lot of experience there,” Powell added, noting that Kok was last season’s World Rugby Sevens Player of the Year, and Afrika previously held that title in 2011.

Sevens rookie Dylan Sage and Speckman were expected to represent the two changes to the 12-man Blitzbok squad set to be announced today.

Speckman, 26, was born in Grahamstown and has spent the past three seasons playing on the wing for the Pumas. Sage, 23, is a Wynberg old boy that Powell drafted in on the strength of his Varsity Cup showings in the UCT backline.

Sage will be deployed as a forward and Speckman is likely to fit into Kok’s role, but it is Kolbe who will have to take over from Afrika and call the shots. He did so with aplomb last week in Dubai when Afrika pulled up with a tender hamstring in the season-opener.

The full array of Kolbe’s dazzling skill, athleticism and panache was later showcased in the Plate final. He spun out of a tackle, free-wheeled towards what looked like a dead-end near the touchline, and, with his back turned to the defence, juked inside before turning outside to beat his man with an audacious burst of speed. He then casually flipped the ball to Kwagga Smith to set up a simple conversion.

“I’m very happy with Cheslin,” Powell smiled. “Last year, he played for us in Port Elizabeth but he was a little bit unsure of himself. Now, he’s playing with a lot of confidence I’m very happy to see where he’s at.”

Port Elizabeth previously hosted the South African leg of the series and the Blitzboks are two-time defending Cup champions. The expectation is that Powell’s men will make it three in a row this weekend. Although the Blitzbok coach acknowledged there was pressure to repeat, he also welcomed the psychological boost provided by home support.

“It’s always great to play in your own stadium and in your own town. There will be some nerves but that’s good because if there aren’t any nerves, then we’re not in the right space.

“The guys showed over the past two years in Port Elizabeth that they can cope with the pressure and we need to turn that nervous energy into positive energy.

“We’re looking forward to the support we’re going to get and we’ll definitely feed off the energy of the crowd, like we did in PE. Hopefully, we can repeat the results we enjoyed there.”