I would rather have Kolbe at No 15 than Willie

SPARRING partners Rassie Erasmus and Warren Gatland couldn’t be in more contrasting positions as they finalise their teams for the first Test.

The British & Irish Lions coach is scratching his head over whom to leave out of his multi-talented squad, while for the Springboks it is a simple task of confirming which of the World Cup winning matchday 23 are cleared of Covid-19 and fit to play.

The million-dollar question is which camp is in the better position after a build-up fraught with Covid-19 incurred obstacles.

The Boks are a settled team but they have barely played, while the Lions are a new collective full of Test veterans.

Also, the Lions will be frustrated that SA’s franchises could only muster meek opposition.

For the Boks, will it really be a case of muscle memory kicking in? Encouragingly, there was a bit of that in their guise as SA A, but what was also evident is that what was sufficient to win that game will be inadequate against a Lions Test team which will be holding nothing back. Many are saying that this series can be summed as the sledgehammer strength of the Boks versus the skill and tempo of the Lions, but Erasmus will know this thinking is an ambush - Gatland has yet to play his Test pack together and on Saturday try telling Maro Itoje, Courtney Lawes, Tadhg Furlong, Alun Wyn Jones et al that they are merely a rapier up against the Bok broadsword ...

In a nutshell, the Boks have to offer more than forward physicality. They must engineer try-scoring opportunities, too, and this regard it is paramount that Handre Pollard plays. He offers so much more than Morne Steyn and Elton Jantjies because he has the physical ability to take the ball to the line and create half gaps for strike runners.

Speaking of sparking attacks, if Cheslin Kolbe is the best attacking back in the world, does it not make sense to get the ball into his hands as often as possible? In Kolbe, Erasmus has the key to unlocking the Lions’ defence and what an exciting selection it would be if Kolbe starts at No 15 where he is bound to get way more attacking opportunities than he would on the wing. The Lions will have to do their share of kicking and I would rather have Kolbe fielding the ball in the deep, with options galore in front of him, than a tentative Willie le Roux and his unfortunate penchant for delivering “nothing” kicks back to the opposition.

And if Le Roux makes way for Kolbe, that opens up a wing berth for warrior Sbu Nkosi.

A back three of Kolbe, Makazole Mapimpi and Nkosi would be a force of nature. This exact scenario was discussed before the 2019 World Cup final because Le Roux had been in poor form, only for Erasmus to back him for the final where he played a blinder!

Let’s hope it is either one of the above scenarios - Kolbe at No 15 or Le Roux rediscovers his mojo.