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Habana's honest opinion on speed comparisons with him and Kolbe

BY Grant Constable  ·  Thursday Oct 7, 2021

Famed Springbok winger Bryan Habana appeared on the always entertaining Use it or Lose It show recently to catch up with his mates and discuss all things rugby. Of course, his speed came up as a topic. 

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Having all but topped the international try scoring charts, 2007 Rugby World Cup winner Habana was one of the most prolific finishers the game has ever seen.

While he himself admits that he didn’t have much of a side step, his acceleration off the mark and prowess for the tryline made him a lethal weapon when playing for the Springboks or one of the many clubs he played for, including Toulon and the Stormers.

The question naturally came up as to who is/was the quicker winger between himself and current Bok phenom Cheslin Kolbe.

WATCH: Cheslin Kolbe takes centre stage in EPIC World Cup sidestep montage

Kolbe himself also played for the Stormers and is currently based in France, and is also now a World Cup winger.

The two players are fairly different but when it comes to raw speed, who is the quicker player? Unfortunately, we’ll never know definitively but Habana himself has some theories.

“Cheslin, I think we all agree, he is probably one of the most exciting players globally,” Habana says.

“His rise to prominence over the course of the last four, five years – when he was written off by so many [due to his size] – and I think not just his pace, but the dropkick he kicked over in the Top 14 final, 50m at Stade de France, no joke..”

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Habana then makes a big call, but perhaps one most would agree with.

WATCH: Top 10 Bryan Habana RWC tries show why he may just be the tournament’s best ever winger

Former Springbok captain and no slouch himself, Jean de Villiers, feels that Habana would take him, but Kolbe’s strengths lie elsewhere.

“Cheslin’s ability to change direction at pace.. there’s no one better,” he said.

Habana goes on to talk about that infamous moment when he was skinned on the outside by USA Eagles flyer Zee Ngwenya.

What do you think? Let us know in the comments

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