Former Springbok winger Odwa Ndungane believes Cheslin Kolbe is the best player in the world.
In an era where size, height and aerial dominance have become the gold standard for wings, Kolbe has torn up the rulebook, and Ndungane says the Suntory star now sits among the modern greats.
“Cheslin has to be up top. First of all, how he’s changed everyone’s mindset. For you to be a very good rugby player, you needed size and height, which obviously both of them he doesn’t have,” Ndungane told Front Row Rugby.
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Kolbe’s Test debut under Rassie Erasmus in 2018 raised eyebrows at the time, but it has since proved to be a masterstroke. The 32-year-old has become a cornerstone of the Springbok set-up, playing a key role in back-to-back World Cup triumphs – including scoring in the 2019 final against England.
“He’s shown that it’s all about the heart and the God-given talent that you have, so I’m a big fan of Cheslin, a guy that can create magic out of nowhere,” Ndungane said.
“You do get those players that a lot of people go to the stadium to watch. When he’s got the ball, you know something is going to happen.
“You can have two or three defenders on him but somehow he will still manage to find a way. If he doesn’t score it himself, he will set it up for someone else.”
Kolbe’s brilliance has come despite a growing emphasis on kick-chase pressure and aerial contests following law changes, an area where smaller wings were expected to struggle. Instead, Ndungane believes Kolbe has shown that elite skill can still trump sheer size.
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“Defensively, he’s also very good. He doesn’t stand back, he doesn’t miss many tackles. Some people think they can target him in the air but he’s also quite good in that as well,” he added.
“I think he’s a very well rounded player. We see him throwing in the lineout, we see him at scrumhalf so definitely Cheslin is one of those special ones.”
Photo: Sebastian Frej/Getty Images
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