Arendse is Boks’ Milner-Skudder

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Pocket rocket Kurt-Lee Arendse has emerged as a triple threat for the world champion Springboks in a similar vein to All Blacks star Nehe Milner-Skudder, according to MARK KEOHANE.

Arendse scored two tries as South Africa turned on the style to thrash Italy in Genoa on Saturday, his first after the Boks spread the ball wide from an attacking lineout, and his second from a great counter attack.

The fleet-footed winger, who earned his first international callup this year after starring for the Vodacom Bulls at fullback, now has six tries in as many Tests.

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In his TIMESLive column, Keohane suggests that the performances of Arendse in green and gold in 2022 has added attacking, defensive and try-scoring dimensions to the world champs.

“There were many good individual Bok performances [against Italy], with Willie le Roux, Cheslin Kolbe and Arendse particularly impressive as a back-three unit,” Keohane wrote.

“In this trio, one has players who all started their careers at fullback and offer so much more than a specialist finisher on the wing.

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“[Makazole] Mapimpi is one of the great try-scoring finishers in Test rugby and he averages nearly a try a Test, but such has been the emergence of Arendse in the past year that he has leapfrogged Mapimpi in my book when it comes to the national pecking order.

“Mapimpi will probably play against England at Twickenham next Saturday because of Kolbe’s French club commitments and, if not for that, because of injury. He left the field with a hamstring problem after a spectacular solo try.

“Arendse will most definitely play. His impact reminds me of the influence of Nehe Rihara Milner-Skudder for the 2015 World Cup winners New Zealand.

“Milner-Skudder added a dimension to the All Blacks’ back play and Arendse is doing the same thing for the Springboks, as a try-scorer, a creator, a defender and an attacking menace.”

Photo: @Springboks/Twitter

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Devin Hermanus