Wales on alert for Kolbe and South Africa's 'blowtorch' speed

Cheslin Kolbe is being watched closely by his Welsh counterparts ahead of their World Cup semi-final. Photo: Steve Haag Sports/Hollywoodbets

Cheslin Kolbe is being watched closely by his Welsh counterparts ahead of their World Cup semi-final. Photo: Steve Haag Sports/Hollywoodbets

Published Oct 22, 2019

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TOKYO - Wales defence coach Shaun Edwards

is just as concerned about the 'blowtorch' pace of Cheslin Kolbe

and the South Africa outside backs as the big men of the

Springboks pack ahead of Sunday's Rugby World Cup semi-final. 

Since losing the quarter-final of the 2015 World Cup to

South Africa, Wales have won four straight matches against the

Springboks, but Edwards said the Welsh would have to be at their

very best to make it five in Yokohama on Sunday. 

"We've had a decent record against them recently but it's

just like it was against France, nearly all the games have been

one-score games," he told reporters in Tokyo on Tuesday.

"We're going to have to muscle up on the advantage line,

they've obviously got huge men.

"Out wide, they've got incredible speed. If there were a

4x100m relay race of all the teams involved in the World Cup

they'd be fastest.

"They're going to be well-organised and they're going to

have a strong defence and strong kicking game. They've got blow

torch speed on the edges." 

The former rugby league international halfback said he had

high regard for South Africa scrumhalf Faf de Klerk and flyhalf

Handre Pollard, but it was Kolbe and his dancing feet who stood

out for him.

Edwards said that the 25-year-old winger, who has scored two

tries in three matches in the tournament so far, reminded him of

England's 2003 World Cup winning winger and fellow rugby league

convert Jason Robinson. 

"If you want to go and watch a game of rugby, you want to go

and watch Cheslin Kolbe," he said.

"We have to keep our eye on his, he's one of the most

dynamic players I've ever seen. I was lucky enough to play with

Jason Robinson. 

"I was his captain at Wigan when he first came in the Wigan

team. Kolbe's a similar player to Jason, incredibly explosive,

short and defies the fact that you have to be big to play the

game of rugby." 

After conceding 19 points in the quarter-final victory over

France in Oita last Sunday, Edwards said he would be looking to

restrict the damage to closer to the 13 to 15 points mark in

Yokohama.

Overall, though, he thought the match would be decided on

how well each side stopped the other from getting over the

gainline. 

"It's going to be a battle royal on that advantage line," he

said.

"Because a lot of people think that in defence, you don't

want to miss any tackles but it's not one of the key performance

indicators of whether you are going to win a game. 

"One of the biggest ones is gainline. Did you give up the

gainline, did you not give up the gainline? That is the biggest

indicator of whether you win or lose the game in defence." 

Reuters

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