Jesse Kriel
Talented young Vodacom Bulls utility back Jessie Kriel looks set to be the 1st player to be given an opportunity to wear the problematic Springbok No 13 jersey at the start of the international season building up to the Rugby World Cup.
Kriel played most of his Super Rugby season at fullback, but he has played a lot of his rugby at outside centre.
The former SA under 20 star switched with regular captain Jean de Villiers in joining Stormers star Damian de Allende in the Bok shadow team’s midfield during the open training session at Cape Town Stadium on Tuesday afternoon.
De Villiers is unlikely to start the match as it will be his 1st appearance on the playing field since undergoing reconstructive knee surgery after being struck down by injury in the final Test of 2014 against Wales in Cardiff.
So Kriel, who did most of the training in that position on Monday, can be considered a near certainty to make his debut in the season pipe-opener.
Obviously Springbok assistant coach Johan van Graan was not in a position to divulge whether the team that trained was the team that will play when he was questioned by media following the training session, but he didn’t contain his excitement at what Kriel could bring to the position if he does play.
“I’ve watched Jessie play since his school days and he is a really special player,” said Van Graan, who doubles his role as forwards coach with that of attack coach.
“He is a really explosive runner and has unbelievable speed. His decision making is brilliant, and I have always been impressed with his hunger to both play and learn. He is one of those guys who wants to learn something new every day. Every moment he is asking you about specific things that can improve him as a player.
“We know he brings exciting possibilities as a centre and has the attributes. He completed a fantastic season at fullback for the Bulls this year, and although he is young, he is confident. If he is selected to play on Saturday it would be very interesting to see what he can bring at international level.”
Van Graan said that the Newlands match was being seen as the perfect platform to try a few new things.
“This is the time to try new things in terms of game-plan, anything new that we want to introduce, and if we want to test someone new this is also the time to do it,” he said.
“I’m not sure what lies beyond this year, but we have a few things in mind for the next 4 months until the end of October, which is when the World Cup ends, and we will be trying some of those things this weekend.”
The favourite to play outside centre at the World Cup is Jaque Fourie, who spent the session on an exercise bike on the side of the field, while De Villiers played the position during much of Heyneke Meyer’s 1st year as Springbok coach.
De Villiers again looked comfortable in training and looks certain to get game time, though probably not in the starting team.
When Jan Serfontein and Frans Steyn return to rugby later in the international season, they will add further to a Springbok midfield resource pool that would be boosted significantly if Kriel comes through the World XV game as well as Van Graan appears to be hoping he will.
Lions centre Lionel Mapoe lined up with the reserves who provided the shadow team with opposition in the contact session.
With Lambie having been out for a few months with injury, Handré Pollard was always likely to start against the World XV and that appeared the case at training, with the Bulls pivot running the entire session at flyhalf while Morné Steyn were wearing the bibs worn by members of the fringe team.
If the 23 that trained is the 23 that does duty at Newlands there could be some interesting selections in the pool of front-row forwards, for Frans Malherbe was not part of the training team on Monday.
Instead his Stormers teammate, Vincent Koch, operated as back-up to Jannie du Plessis, while Trevor Nyakane looks likely to get the nod ahead of Stormers loosehead powerhouse Steven Kitshoff.
There was no lock back-up to Eben Etzebeth and Victor Matfield, with Teboho ‘Oupa’ Mohoje looking likely to cover both lock and blindside flank, with Marcell Coetzee covering for Francois Louw at openside. The back row configuration looks likely to be Louw, Schalk Burger at blindside and Warren Whiteley at No 8.
Should the 23 who trained as the squad on Tuesday be in the match 23 on Saturday it would mean 2 new caps in the form of Jesse Kriel and reserve prop Vincent Koch.
Probable Springbok team: 15 Willie le Roux, 14 JP Pietersen, 13 Jessie Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Handré Pollard, 9 Ruan Pienaar, 8 Warren Whiteley, 7 Schalk Burger, 6 Francois Louw, 5 Victor Matfield, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 Bismarck du Plessis, 1 Beast Mtawarira.
Replacements: 16 Adriaan Strauss, 17 Trevor Nyakane, 18 Vincent Koch, 19 Teboho ‘Oupa’ Mohoje, 20 Marcell Coetzee, 21 Cobus Reinach, 22 Patrick Lambie, 23 Jean de Villiers.
SuperSport
The Springbok team to face the World XV in Cape Town is:
Willie le Roux (Toyota Cheetahs), JP Pietersen (Cell C Sharks), Jesse Kriel (Vodacom Bulls), Damian de Allende (DHL Stormers), Bryan Habana (Toulon), Handré Pollard ( Vodacom Bulls), Ruan Pienaar (Ulster), Warren Whiteley (Emirates Lions), Marcell Coetzee (Cell C Sharks), Francois Louw (Bath), Victor Matfield (captain, Vodacom Bulls), Eben Etzebeth (DHL Stormers), Jannie du Plessis (Cell C Sharks), Bismarck du Plessis (Cell C Sharks), Tendai Mtawarira (Cell C Sharks). Replacements: Adriaan Strauss (Vodacom Bulls), Trevor Nyakane (Vodacom Bulls), Vincent Koch (DHL Stormers), Oupa Mohoje (Toyota Cheetahs), Schalk Burger (DHL Stormers), Cobus Reinach (Cell C Sharks), Pat Lambie (Cell C Sharks), Jean de Villiers (DHL Stormers).
Cape Town – Springbok centre Jaque Fourie has been sent back to his club in Japan to regain full fitness.
After retiring from international rugby last year, the 32-year-old was picked in Heyneke Meyer’s first Springbok squad of the year after the national coach convinced him to reconsider his decision to call time on his Springbok career.
Fourie though is not fit for the rigours of international rugby and the decision was made for him to withdraw from the Bok squad and return to his club, the Kobelco Steelers.
@ Pietman:
Good to hear that they are taking decisions on merit.
@ Lion4ever:
Mixed feelings, feel bad for lionel while jesses versatility could prove valueable in a rwc squad.
The biggest disappointment is that beast and jannie is still our “first choice” front row.
MacroPolo wrote:
Why? They haven’t played all year so they must be very well rested.
@ nortie:
Im glad your looking forward to seeing to play.
nortie wrote:
Now they’ll probably be unfit and get injured again
Anyway, they will still suck
@ MacroPolo:
@ Victoriabok:
Just saying that while they might have represented the Sharks, it didn’t look like they were playing too hard…Jannie’s biggest contribution of the year was getting the Rebel sent off.
Yes Vic, they will suck….kak players usually do 😆
@ MacroPolo:
This weekends team doesn’t really matter, they are playing a tjommel span who wouldn’t be able to beat one of our franchises.
We saw this morning how the AB’s struggled without some of their big name players, so expect the Boks to have a torrid RC campaign with our available fit players
9 @ nortie:
With = without our
nortie wrote:
Even Jannie and Beast will look good? 🙁
Pietman wrote:
I wonder how wise it is to allow players to play in Japan
JPP also looked fat and unfit when he returned
Next year we will have a lot of unfit Sumo wrestlers returning to play Super 18
Or is it Super 180?
@ nortie:
Well the point is exsctly why we could start any of the front rowers on the fringes.
It means absolutely nothing that they are rested. Your comment makes little sense when we know that they are not good enough.
@ MacroPolo:
Whether we think they are good or not is a moot point…..HM rates them as his best two front row forwards so they will remain in the starting team for as long as he is coach and they are available for selection
Ha ha, farking ha
No
“Spies: I’m available if Boks need me”
http://www.sport24.co.za/Rugby/Springboks/Spies-Im-available-if-Boks-need-me-20150708
@ nortie:
That is why i said it is disappointing…
what does…
“Why? They haven’t played all year so they must be very well rested.”
…even mean? Do you think its a positive that they are well rested?
And its not a moot point. It surely is disappointing, it appears as if the bok management would rather let beast and jannie regain match fitness than try out combinations.
MacroPolo wrote:
All it means is a tongue in cheek reference to the fact that even though they played, they only made up the numbers.
It’s not as if the Sharks pack or front row dominated other sides.
16 @ MacroPolo:
Any unhappiness from supporters about certain players that HM has already written on the team sheet in ink, not even pencil, is IMO a moot point.
We all know by now who most of his first choice players will be if we were to play in a WC final tomorrow….whether we like or rate some of those players is not going to change the team sheet.
A couple of outsiders may make up the numbers if there are injuries, but we know that Willie, Habana, Jean, Pollard/Lambie, Jan, JPP, FdP, Duane, Alberts, Flo, Matfield, Etzebeth, Jannie, Bissie/Adriaan and Beast will play if they are fit
Given what we know of Meyer’s selection policies this isn’t the worst team around.
Lots of enforced changes, lets see how they go
#3 @ MacroPolo:
“Good to hear that they are taking decisions on merit.”
So, Jesse Kriel’s selection at 13 was taken “on merit”?
With a loose trio of Flo, Coetzee and Whiteley, “loose” tight five players like Matfield, Beast and Jannie, this Bok team will get moered by the likes of Bakkies, Ali Williams, et al.
Don’t be surprise if the result does not go our way. The only thing in our favour is the fact that it is a world team with no team cohesion.
HM proving again that he is a Dutch cat.
Did not the same Deans world team coach) play two fetchers together (Smith & Pocock) at some stage? How did that work out for him? Everybody back then called for a grafter (Higgonbottm was injured if I remember correctly). Oh yes…he was fired!
Now HM believes that he can play two “fetchers” with no “hard man”?
Dom moer!
JPP getting the nod ahead of…well anybody who played t the right wing this year…especially Hougie.
KAAAAAK!
Rather HM should have selected Mapoe at 13 and dropped JPP to stick to his magic number of 3. With Jaques Fourie now out of contention, who else is there at 13?
Oh yes, Jesse Kriel because he played there at u/20 level, or something like that. Why not sommer bring in Robert du Preez , who played outside Pollard when we won the JWC?
Dom donner!
@ Nama:
Wel sekere besluite is op meriete. Op te kyk wie almal beskikbaar is en dan ouens huis toe te stuur wat nie gereed is nie. Ek dink dit is vanselfsprekend dat ek nie met als saamstem nie (soos jannie en beast).
En ek is nie gewarri oor jesse nie. Andersins kak almal in hulle broek dat meyer voorspelbaar is en net ou spelers kies. Wat warri jy? Jje is die kakste speler in die wereld mos.
@ Nama:
Warri jy maar net of eben wedstryd fiks gaan wees.
20 & 23 @ Nama:
Agreed, Mapoe deserved to get the nod at #13 … (I won’t be surprised though if he gets his opportunity in some of TRC tests)
Perhaps the the experiment of J Kriel at #13 should’ve first occurred at the Bulls, rather than at the Bokke.
But have some understanding for HM’s experiment – if the Bokke are to evolve a more expansive game plan then surely having both WLR & J Kriel in the same XV would be an (almost) imperative?
Rather view this experiment in this constructive light.
22 @ Nama:
The Wallabies sometimes played George Smith & Phil Waugh as starter flanks.
http://www.foxsports.com.au/rugby/wallabies/rugby-world-cup-phil-waugh-on-why-hooper-and-pocock-can-play-together-for-wallabies/story-e6frf55l-1227347236777
Neither Flo nor Marcel are typical opensiders … Both play quite robust games, and either of them should be able to make the transition back to blindside flank where they once upon time played.
@ Nama:
Agreed, I don’t know what JPP is doing in the squad, let alone the starting xv
@ Angostura:
“But have some understanding for HM’s experiment…”
Is the Bok team the right place for an experiment like this? Shouldn’t they have played Kriel at 13 at the Bulls and see how he did there? It was not as if JJE set the world alight at 13 for them.
One of the things that we were told about guys like Jaques Fourie and JdV at 13, was their ability to “organise the defence. Now we have a player at 13 who didn’t play there at all in his senior career. Is he also suppose to organise the deence?
I’m sorry, I cannot even try to understand this crap. All I get from it AGAIN, is the magic number…3. With Beast, Habana and JPP already in the team, there was no place for Mapoe. As simple as that.
@ Nama:
“@ Angostura:
“But have some understanding for HM’s experiment…”
Personally I think 5 games out from the start of the WC is a bit late in a 4 year tenure to want to start experimenting…..but hey, that’s just me
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