All Blacks winger Leroy Carter has addressed his scuffle with Cheslin Kolbe in the second Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry Test match in Cape Town.
The two outside backs squared up in the latter stages of the match after the Springboks flyer was taken into touch with the players scrambling for the ball.
Carter dragged Kolbe across the ground and then to his feet, with the Springboks speedster taking exception to his actions and shoving the All Black once he got up.
Carter v Kolbe
The incident has gone viral on social media since, with many accusing Kolbe of punching Carter, including outspoken New Zealand pundit Mark Watson, who believes that the double World Cup winner should have been sanctioned.
However, the Chiefs flyer, who earned his Test debut against South Africa in Wellington last year, was far less fussed about what had occurred when he appeared on the Inside the Black Jersey podcast hosted on the All Blacks’ YouTube channel.
“Cheslin Kolbe did that little dog shot to you in the last couple of minutes. What were you saying to him?” podcast co-host and former scrum-half Brad Weber asked.
“I was surprised, hey,” Carter said.
“I didn’t realise he was going to get so angry, but no, it was actually probably the first time I’ve had a bigger reach than someone when I’m putting my hand up. I actually had a bigger reach, which is quite cool.”
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Going too far
Making further light of the incident, Weber added: “Your technique was fantastic, by the way. You really got in there strong. You came in hard. I was really proud of you, actually.”
“Are you an analyst in this subject, are you, Weber?” co-host George Harper asked.
“Well, I’ve been in a few scuffles. I haven’t finished too many, put it that way,” Weber laughed.
Harper provided the final question on the topic, saying: “Have you ever got to the point where, ‘Oh, I’m pushing this a bit far with the big fellas?’”
Carter replied: “It’s usually when you’re on your own. If you don’t have your big fellas coming in, that’s when you start getting a little bit worried, but once they’ve got you back, they’ll keep going.”
Kolbe and Carter could well square off again when the Springboks and All Blacks face off at the FNB Stadium in Soweto on Saturday in the third Test match of the series with the former switching from wing to full-back following the injury to Damian Willemse.
Meanwhile, Dave Rennie is set to name his team for the encounter on Friday with Carter likely to feature in the matchday 23 after coming off the bench in the first Test match before starting the second in the Mother City.