Kolbe available for World Cup final selection

Kolbe available for World Cup final selection

Springbok director of rugby Rassie Erasmus says star Wing Cheslin Kolbe should be fit and ready for the Rugby World Cup final.

Cheslin Kolbe / Steve Haag via Hollywoodbets
Cheslin Kolbe / Steve Haag via Hollywoodbets

The Springbok speedster was ruled out of the semifinals last week as he recovered from an ankle injury that has been plaguing him since their pool stage win over Italy.

Kolbe trained with the Springboks late last week ahead of their clash with Wales but a decision was taken to rest the wing in the hopes that he would be 100 percent fit for the final. 

As fate would have it, resting Kolbe may have been a masterstroke with the Springboks booking a date in the final with England. 

Kolbe has been one of the Springboks biggest weapons during their campaign in Japan and his availability will be a big boost for South Africa's hopes of lifting the Webb Ellis Trophy this Saturday. 

READ: Nail-biting finish as Boks book Rugby World Cup final date with England

Springbok director of rugby Rassie Erasmus confirmed that Kolbe was available for selection and would train with the side on Tuesday afternoon, their first session ahead of Saturday's final. 

Furthermore, the Springboks have a clean bill of health with all 31 players fit and available for selection. 

Dealing with a short turnaround

The Springboks now have to deal with a short turnaround from Sunday's semifinal and the upcoming final on Saturday. 

It effectively means that South Africa have had two days less than England to prepare for the final. 

Speaking to the media on Tuesday, Erasmus conceded that it could mean that his team selection will be very similar to the sides he's put out over the last two weeks. 

"The big thing is that we only have 160 minutes of training, 60 minutes of team training, 60 minutes of split training for forwards and backs. It's two days of training sessions so not a lot will change and you can expect pretty much the same from us this Saturday," Erasmus said. 

"We've played England four times in the last two years and the score was two all. The last Test we played was a very close Test match at Twickenham and I know both teams have improved a lot since then. We'll go out and see how we can stop them from scoring points and we'll try to score more points than them, that will be the simple thing."

The Springboks meet England in the Rugby World Cup final on Saturday. Kickoff is at 11h00 South African time. 

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