Jesse Kriel: ‘It speaks volumes to the kind of leader Siya Kolisi is’
Springboks captains Siya Kolisi and Jesse Kriel.
Jesse Kriel has hailed regular Springboks captain Siya Kolisi, who forfeited the role for the clash against the All Blacks at Eden Park.
After naming the team on Thursday, head coach Rassie Erasmus explained that Kriel had been appointed when the matchday 23 was confirmed internally, with Kolisi missing the fixture.
However, that all changed when Jean-Luc du Preez, who was set to start at number eight, was ruled out of the game after sustaining a knee injury in training.
That setback just continues the trend of Du Preez missing the opportunities that have come his way through no fault of his own, particularly this year, as he sustained a concussion after featuring against the Barbarians and then attended the birth of his child, and then fell ill for the clash against the Wallabies in Cape Town.
Siya’s selfless act
His absence means that Kolisi will tackle the All Blacks at Eden Park for the second time in his career after coming off the bench in 2013. However, the double Rugby World Cup-winning Springboks captain won’t be leading the side out at hallowed ground as he suggested to head coach Erasmus that Kriel should retain the captaincy instead.
“It was Siya’s suggestion and all good, the whole team understands, but Siya is our captain for the rest of the year,” Erasmus told SuperSport.
Speaking on the eve of the encounter, Kriel hailed the regular captain and said the decision not to assume the role spoke volumes about the kind of leader the flanker is.
“It speaks volumes to the kind of leader Siya is. We all know that Siya is our captain and that he is the captain of this team. It’s all of us who help and lead when we need to,” he said.
“I’ve got that role this weekend, and something that I take massive pride in, being given the honour of leading this team and doing my part.
“But again, I’ve said it many times, there are so many leaders throughout this squad, and I’m not just talking about the 23 guys playing tomorrow. I’m talking about the entire wider group, the coaches; there are leaders all over the place.”
The experienced centre is still shocked to have been given the honour and will look to replicate the efforts of fellow Maritzburg College Old Boy, Phil Nel, who captained the Springboks to a victory over the All Blacks at Eden Park back in 1937, which remains South Africa’s only win versus their fiercest rivals at the venue.
“It’s a massive privilege. I wouldn’t have thought that it would be happening, but the most important thing is that I do my job and that I do what is expected of me as a player, and then the rest takes care of itself. Extremely proud, extremely privileged – it’s a massive honour,” he added.
Magnitude of the game
Looking to the game itself, Kriel said that it was the kind of fixture that every player dreams of as he represents his country against their biggest rivals, at a ground where South Africa haven’t had much success.
“First of all, it’s another opportunity to play in a Green and Gold jersey,” he began.
“The magnitude of the game is also something that excites me. As a competitor, most of the guys would say the same thing: you want to be involved in the biggest of Test matches, and this is right up there.
“You want to test yourself against the best, whether it’s in your position or world rankings – it’s the ultimate test, and that’s what gets you excited for as a player. That’s what’s in the back of my mind.
“We know that for the Rugby Championship, this is an extremely important game for us that we’ve been looking forward to for a long time. It doesn’t get any bigger and any more exciting than this as a player or supporter.”
While the Boks head into the match after downing the Wallabies in Cape Town, the All Blacks enter the encounter following a defeat to Los Pumas in Argentina.
The results in round two of the Rugby Championship won’t have much of an influence on the meeting in Auckland, as he relished the opportunity of featuring in the unmatched rivalry.
“The All Blacks are a tough team to face regardless of whether they come off a win or a loss,” said Kriel.
“The rivalry between the Springboks and All Blacks is unmatched, and we are extremely motivated to perform well in this encounter.”
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History is irrelevant
Commenting on the All Blacks’ unbeaten 50-game run at Eden Park, Springboks assistant coach Mzwandile Stick stated that the historical stats are not something the Springboks or the coaching staff focus on too much.
While the former Blitzboks star says they do respect the record, they are more concerned about the facts and figures from the actual matches.
“We focus more on rugby statistics rather than history because that’s not where a game is won or lost,” said Stick.
“Only three people in this group have featured in a game at Eden Park against the All Blacks, so for us it will all be about what happens tomorrow. For me personally, the history doesn’t matter.
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“If you go back to 1930, whatever, it doesn’t have anything to do with me. I know they take a lot of pride when it comes to their history and their legacy they’ve had at this stadium, but I think for us the legacy is with the Springbok jersey. We have to make sure that we protect it and give ourselves a good chance to perform.
“To win this competition, you have to beat the best, and you can’t ask for any better team than the All Blacks in New Zealand.
“The key for us is to represent our country with pride and dignity and to make our people proud.”
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