Cheslin Kolbe reached his half-century of Springbok caps in fitting style on Saturday, scoring a try and adding five conversions in South Africa's 45-21 victory over England at Ellis Park.
The 32-year-old winger admitted he never truly believed the milestone would arrive when he was younger. "If you had asked me as a young kid if I would represent the Springboks and get to 50 caps, probably not, even though it was always a dream," Kolbe said. "It just shows you what can happen when coaches and teammates trust you and believe in you."
Kolbe reflected on the doubts he faced earlier in his career regarding his stature. "A lot of people thought I was too small, but things happen for a reason," he said. "The coaches believed in me from my first cap, and I'm fortunate to play alongside such amazing players with so much experience."
Despite the personal accolade, Kolbe stressed that the Springboks' culture prioritises the collective over individual achievements. "For me it's never about the individual," he said. "The boys kept us calm throughout the week because the nerves were definitely there."
The Springboks surged to a 17-0 lead after just 12 minutes before England fought back to trail by only three points at halftime. Coach Rassie Erasmus said memories of last year's collapse against Australia at the same venue—when the Boks surrendered a 22-0 advantage to lose 38-22—helped focus minds at the interval. "The chat at halftime was definitely: 'boys we've been here before and we know how it feels if we don't rectify things in the second half'," Erasmus said.
The victory came despite the late withdrawal of captain Siya Kolisi and Eben Etzebeth on the eve of the match, forcing Paul de Villiers into a debut appearance at flanker.