Springbok star accused of ‘blatant thuggery’ over controversial All Blacks incident
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Thuggery.
Cheslin Kolbe has been accused of “blatant thuggery” by outspoken New Zealand pundit Mark Watson following his controversial altercation with All Blacks winger Leroy Carter.
The pair clashed during the closing stages of South Africa’s 33-26 victory over New Zealand in Cape Town, with footage of the incident subsequently going viral on social media.
Carter dragged Kolbe along the ground and then pulled him to his feet after the Springbok had been taken into touch.
Kolbe reacted angrily once back on his feet and appeared to make contact with Carter with his left hand before a brief shoving match developed.
The incident went unpunished during the game, but Watson believes Kolbe should have been sent to the sin bin.
“The thing that should have seriously happened, like why wasn’t Cheslin Kolbe sent from the field for punching Leroy Carter?” Watson said on DSPN.
Watson argued that Carter’s actions did not warrant Kolbe’s reaction and questioned why the officials did not intervene.
“He should have gone for at least 10 minutes. And that is one of the great frustrations for me as well. He got away with one.
“I think Rassie knows he got away with one as well.”
Watson then went considerably further in his criticism of the Springbok star.
“In all seriousness, this guy stood up and basically punched him in the head unprovoked,” he said.
“It was blatant thuggery. I mean, if you do that in everyday life, you get arrested. Yet we can’t send a guy off for 10 minutes.”
Kolbe was not sanctioned during the game and went on to be named Player of the Match after kicking 18 points as the Springboks levelled Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry at 1-1.
Carter has since addressed the incident himself and offered a considerably more relaxed assessment of the confrontation.
The All Blacks winger admitted he was surprised by Kolbe’s reaction, but joked that it was one of the rare occasions he had enjoyed a reach advantage over an opponent.
Kolbe has since been named at fullback for Saturday’s third Test at FNB Stadium as the Springboks look to take the lead in the four-Test series.
The incident went unpunished during the game, but Watson believes Kolbe should have been sent to the sin bin.
Kolbe with the little knacker punch in front of two officials and gets asked if he’s alright after. Fair play. pic.twitter.com/d5LN6G0XWJ
— Jim Demps (@jim_demps) August 29, 2026
