2023-10-16 07:30:56
Cheslin Kolbe can still hope to treat herself to a very nice birthday present. The South African winger turns 30 on October 28, the date of the Rugby World Cup final, and his team remains in the running to retain its global title four years after its coronation in Japan. But if he scored the Springboks’ third try during the very narrow victory over the XV of France (29-28) on Sunday evening in the quarter-final, the former Stade Toulouse and Toulon player particularly stood out on this match thanks to a gesture as rare as it was decisive: a counter on a transformation.
We play the first period, and the Blues have just scored their second try through their hooker Peato Mauvaka. Along the touchline, the French striker Thomas Ramos, his ex-partner in Toulouse (2017-2021) rushes to try to complete the difficult transformation and collect two additional points. But the Springbok emerges at full speed, and opposes the shot from behind with his arms. 12-12 (22nd), and we leave.
But this counter from Kolbe, which could have remained a simple improbable memory, was cruelly remembered by the supporters of the XV of France at the end of the evening. Because with only one point behind on arrival in South Africa, it becomes a real bitter turning point in this meeting. And inevitably, we look at the action itself. Because if the winger had every right to come and block the attempt, did he do it according to the rules? That is to say by launching at the moment when Ramos attacks his run-up.
No, says the broadcaster of the match, TF1, which mentions in a post on X, formerly Twitter, “the refereeing error which cost the elimination of the French XV”. A clear opinion, since deleted from the social network, to which the person concerned obviously does not subscribe.
The video ? “I hoped not”
“I burst out and did my best to try to put pressure on him,” explains Cheslin Kolbe in the mixed zone. I played with and against him for six years, I know his way of hitting and it helped me. » But did he expect to see the video referee dissect his gesture? “I hoped not,” he smiled. He didn’t do it fortunately, well not fortunately. Because if he did, I was on the right side of the line. »
A statement repeated again a few minutes later during a new question on the subject. A few minutes earlier, at a press conference, his coach Jacques Nienaber praised his winger’s initiative. “You don’t see that often… It’s someone chasing a lost cause,” he described.
“Kolbe is well behind the line and has a fixed position when Ramos prepares,” a professional referee explains to Le Parisien-Aujourd’hui en France. It’s nothing. If we transpose the regulations to the case of Ramos, Kolbe has the right to leave as soon as he initiates his support. Here, I can understand the questioning but if it had been rude, the video would have intervened. »
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