Kriel a sure cog in winning Springbok defence engine
The midfielder says Saturday’s Test against All Blacks will be tough, but SA squad have the character to succeed
It would be easy to say Jesse Kriel is keeping the No13 jersey warm for injured Lukhanyo Am. The Sharks centre has been a joy to watch in the past two seasons and fully deserved his Bok starting role. But Kriel has remained on the radar despite his team, the Bulls being underwhelming in the past two years. When one looks at how long he has been part of the Springbok set-up and the caps he has accrued (35 with 30 starts), Kriel is in a good place from an experience point of view. That quality, though, is not always the best way to move forward, especially against a skilled All Blacks backline. However, should Kriel start at 13 in Saturday’s Test against New Zealand at Loftus Versfeld, he will be an integral part of a midfield defence that was highly improved against Australia. It is becoming clear the Boks are leaning more towards their defensive system to get them out of trouble, which was the case in September’s landmark 36-34 win against New Zealand in Wellington.
A repeat o...
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