Bok duo Cheslin Kolbe and Marco van Staden are gearing up for a career-defining moment as they prepare to face the All Blacks at Eden Park for the first time.
Ahead of Saturday’s Rugby Championship clash, both players called it a rare and “special” opportunity in their international journeys.
Bok coach Rassie Erasmus will announce his match-23 on Thursday, but both Kolbe and Van Staden said the fact that the Springboks had not defeated their archrivals at Eden Park since 1937 made it one of the matches to cherish if they were to be named in the team.
“Every opportunity I receive to play against the All Blacks, especially with all the history behind matches between the sides, is massive, and that is a sentiment we all share,” said Kolbe.
“We are facing the number one-ranked team in the world currently, and as a player, you want to measure yourself against them individually and as a team to see where you are and if you are still on par, so I’m excited.
“I have also never played at Eden Park before, but I’ve heard many great things about it, so I’ll be thrilled if I get the opportunity to play this weekend.”
Van Staden shared his teammate’s sentiments and said: “Every Test one plays in the green and gold is big, and no two teams are the same, so we are preparing as well as possible for the match. Having the opportunity to play in this match will certainly be special.
“It’s a significant stadium for the All Blacks, so anything we can learn from players who have faced New Zealand a few times away in the past, we’ll definitely take to heart.”
Asked about the fact that the Boks’ have not enjoyed much success at the iconic stadium, where they last played in 2013 (going down 29-15 against the hosts), Kolbe calmly said: “The past is history. There’s nothing we can do about that. All we can do is focus on what we can do now, and whoever gets the chance to play needs to go out there and enjoy the occasion.
“A lot can change in a season, and the main things for us is to continue improving and developing as a team.”
