Kolbe delivers X-factor for SA

Predatory winger Cheslin Kolbe has underlined his status as one of the rugby union’s hottest properties with another scintillating display in SA’s 49-3 drubbing of Italy.

It was Kolbe who scored the opening try for the Boks, and in eye-catching fashion that sent Friday’s 44,000 crowd at Shizuoka’s Ecopa Stadum wild.

Kolbe gathered an early floated miss-pass from Willie le Roux and found himself in a dead end on his right touchline with seemingly nothing on.

“Take the tackle and go to ground so the ball can be recycled,” would be the automatic thought for the majority of players.

But not Kolbe, whose diminutive stature belies the rugby stereotype of bigger is better.

He instead deployed his lightning footwork, the 25year-old producing a devastating step off his right foot that left opposite number Tommaso Benvenuti grabbing air.

Matteo Minozzi moved in to close down the space, but the winger effortlessly glided around the Italian fullback to dot down in the corner.

“I think at this stage he must be one of the players in the world with All Blacks Sevu Reece and Damian McKenzie, those kind of players who have just got X-factor and can do something out of nothing,” SA coach Rassie Erasmus said.

Kolbe is diminutive for a professional rugby player, standing just 1.72m tall and weighing a paltry 80kg.

To see him being congratulated by his huge Bok teammates after picking up the man-of-the-match award against Italy is surely proof that the sport of rugby union

remains open to all shapes and sizes.