Springboks superstar Cheslin Kolbe showed his class on both sides of the ball as he set up a stunning try while playing in Japan.
Playing for the first time in over a month due to an injury sustained in mid-February, the flyer wasted no time in settling back in.
During the clash between between Kolbe’s side, Tokyo Sungoliath, and Yokohama Canon Eagles, Sungoliath were 28-10 in front but defending their own line.
On the back foot
Canon Eagles powered towards the line but a remarkable effort from the two-time Rugby World Cup winner saw him brilliantly tackle a rampaging forward.
Simultaneously, he seemed to somehow rip the ball, get back to his feet and sprint away from his goal line.
Kolbe then ran over 60 metres before finding his support players and it ended with centre Ryoto Nakamura crossing the whitewash.
One person wrote on X, formerly Twitter, that it was “so ridiculous”, and it is a view shared by many.
While most people quite rightly focus on what the Springboks speedster can do with ball in hand, the 30-year-old also excels in other facets.
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Multi-faceted Kolbe
Test wingers nowadays cannot just rely on their attacking quality to be successful at the highest level, they have to be competent in all areas of the game and Kolbe has added to his armoury over the years.
He is good under the high ball and, as that clip showed, incredibly resilient defensively, allowing him to make impacts such as the one for Sungoliath.
That try took them into a seemingly dominant 35-10 lead at the break but their opponents responded superbly in the second period and dramatically turned it around.
Canon Eagles would claim a 37-35 triumph for their seventh victory in 11 this season to close the gap on Sungoliath in Japan Rugby League One.
Kolbe’s side suffered their third defeat of the campaign as they stayed second in their conference and third on the overall log.
