Former Springboks speedster Odwa Ndungane has put Cheslin Kolbe at the \u201ctop\u201d of his list of modern day greats after defying the trend of current wings.<\/b><\/p>\n
Despite certain coaches claiming that he was too small to succeed at the highest level, Rassie Erasmus gave him his Test debut in 2018 and it proved to be a masterstroke.<\/p>\n
Kolbe<\/a> has since become a key part of the South African<\/a> set-up and helped them to successive Rugby World Cup triumphs, including scoring in the 2019 showpiece against England in Japan.<\/p>\n While there remains a focus on size and height, including out wide where the removal of the \u2018escort\u2019 law has placed a bigger emphasis on the kick-chase, the 32-year-old has shown there is still space for smaller wings.<\/p>\n Changing the game?<\/p>\n In fact, Kolbe may well be changing the game with Kurt-Lee Arendse and Edwill van der Merwe two other shorter back three players to star for the Springboks.<\/p>\n \u201cCheslin has to be up top. First of all, how he\u2019s changed everyone\u2019s mindset. For you to be a very good rugby player, you needed size and height, which obviously both of them he doesn\u2019t have,\u201d Ndungane told Front Row Rugby<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s shown that it\u2019s all about the heart and the god given talent that you have, so I\u2019m a big fan of Cheslin, a guy that can create magic out of nowhere.<\/p>\n \u201cYou do get those players that a lot of people go to the stadium to watch. When he\u2019s got the ball, you know something is going to happen.<\/p>\n \u201cYou can have two or three defenders on him but somehow he will still manage to find a way. If he doesn\u2019t score it himself, he will set it up for someone else.\u201d<\/p>\n