Jacques Nienaber has confirmed that Cheslin Kolbe will also serve as a backup flyhalf in his first Test at fullback for the Springboks against Ireland on Saturday.
Kolbe, whose last Test was in the incoming series against Wales in Cape Town, will start in an exciting back three with Kurt-Lee Arendse and Makazole Mapimpi in Dublin.
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“We selected a team we believe contains the best combinations to counter the threats posed by Ireland,” said Nienaber.
“Damian [Willemse] has done well for us at flyhalf, and he is continuing to grow as a player in that role, while we think Cheslin has the potential to add a new dimension to our game at fullback.
“He was sidelined for a while after breaking his jaw against Wales, but he has played four 80-minute matches for Toulon since returning to play, and we are confident that he will step up to the challenge.”
Nienaber said Kolbe will also provide flyhalf cover: “Cheslin has delivered star performances for his clubs in France at flyhalf, so he will slot in as a backup flyhalf if necessary, while Faf [de Klerk] is another option for us at No 10 as well.
“Damian Willemse can also move to inside centre if we need cover there, while Damian de Allende can play outside centre and Willie fullback, and this allowed us for us to opt for a six-two split on the bench.”
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Nienaber expected a massive onslaught from Ireland and said his charges have to be prepared for an epic encounter.
“Ireland are the top-ranked team in the world currently and they’ve shown in the past that they can be a force to be reckoned with in Dublin,” said Nienaber.
“We last faced them on their home patch in 2017 and they beat us 38-3 in that match, and they also beat us here 29-15 in 2014 and they will draw confidence from that.
“Similarly to us, they will also view this as a vital clash with an eye on next year’s Rugby World Cup in France where we will cross paths in the pool stages.
“Obviously, we are a long way out from the World Cup, but we have a limited number of matches left before the competition and the preparation doesn’t get better than playing a side we will face in the World Cup and the No 1 side in the world.
“This match is important for us for many reasons, one of which is to test our player combinations with the World Cup less than a year away.”
On the injury front, Nienaber said Sbu Nkosi (wing) and Marco van Staden (flank), who suffered rib injuries in the Vodacom Bulls’ clash with the Cell C Sharks in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship on Sunday, would not join the squad and will not be replaced at this stage as there is sufficient cover in the touring group.
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