Cape Town - In the build-up to the deciding Test against Wales, almost every Springbok who has addressed the media said that they are approaching this encounter as a final, and Cheslin Kolbe is no different.
The thrill-a-minute Kolbe will start will start on the right wing in the third and final Test against the Dragons at Cape Town Stadium on Saturday, and while addressing the media on Wednesday, he made it clear ticking the 'win' box against Wales - who beat South Africa in the Republic for the first time in the second Test in Bloemfontein - is about more than just adding another positive result.
"For us as South Africans, every Test match is a final because we know how much it means to this country, so that is how we treat it each and every weekend," Kolbe said. " I am chuffed to be getting this opportunity to play again, hopefully in a packed stadium, but that isn't our focus, our focus is to go out there and deliver, then the results will take care of itself."
In their 12-13 defeat in Bloem, the Boks didn't score a single try, while Wales managed to snatch a late one with a stunner of a conversion by replacement Gareth Anscombe.
If there is one man who knows how to find the tryline, it's Kolbe, and he explained that while that is the goal, the team, as a collective, are going to have to go out there and execute what they have been working on all week in order to achieve it.
"Hopefully we will see a few tries, but it's not just going to happen, a lot of hard work is going to have to go into it. If there are opportunities, I am sure that every player who goes out there is going to try their best to score points and to do it for the team," he said.
"We have got amazing backline players and amazing forwards as well. It is definitely a team effort. There is a plan in place of what the coaches expect from us, and for us as a team we just need to make sure that we can implement that the best we can on the field.
"Of course we all want to run with the ball and get one-on-one opportunities, but those moments will definitely come as long as we put in the hard work that we get from our forwards. That will make us as backline players look like superstars, but mainly, all the hard work is done up front and we just need to implement the plan we have worked out during the week on Saturday."
The World Cup-winner and former Stormer fan-favourite added that playing in the Mother City in the decider is an extra treat: "Since the Series started, there was a great atmosphere and a good build-up right through, but I must say, it going to be quite exciting for me being back in the Cape and seeing a lot of green and gold jerseys, so I am really looking forward to it,"
"Hopefully we can make not only the people in Cape Town proud, but everyone who supports us. We treat everybody the same and we respect everybody the same. It's a big occasion, and now it is up to us as players to go out there and get the job done."
@WynonaLouw