Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has lauded star wing Cheslin Kolbe in the wake of a fine all-round performance against Italy. JON CARDINELLI at Shizuoka Stadium Ecopa reports.

Kolbe was named Man of the Match in the wake of the Boks’ 49-3 win against Italy on Friday. The wing racked up 100 running metres, made three clean breaks, beat four defenders and scored two tries.

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Erasmus confirmed that Kolbe rolled his ankle in the latter stages of the second stanza. The wing should be available for the playoffs, however, if he isn’t considered for the match against Canada next Tuesday.

‘Cheslin’s ankle injury is nothing major. We took him off toward the end of the game as a precaution,’ Erasmus said.‘He played a wonderful game today. I thought that everything from his attack to his defence to his aerial game was very good.

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‘Cheslin must be among the best players in the world, alongside guys like Sevu Reece and Damian McKenzie, for X-factor. All of those guys have the ability to create something from nothing. It’s wonderful to have him in our team.’

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