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
29 @ Nama:
Hoe kak moet Juan de Jongh nou voel?
Kagiso Rabada just takes his 6th wicket on his ODI debut. The best performance by a SA bowler on debut. The previous best was Allan Donald taking 5/25 against India on our return to international cricket.
His 6 wickets also includes a hat trick. Only the 3rd SA hat trick in ODI’s (Duminy and Langeveldt the other hat trick takers) but the 1st player to do it on debut. With one Bangladeshi wicket remaining, Rabada still has a chance to increase his haul of wickets to 7.
You go boy.
Best bowling figures on debut is Fidel Edwards’ 6/22. Rabada currently has figures of 6/16 after 8 overs.
Nama wrote:
nortie wrote:
I preceded that statement that both of you chose to quote with the following qualification:
“Perhaps the the experiment of J Kriel at #13 should’ve first occurred at the Bulls, rather than at the Bokke.”
What about that did you not read or understand?
Funny, are both of you optically or cognitively challenged? Or just plain bloody-minded?
@ Angostura:
Get over yourself, my reply was to Nama, not to you
The match is reduced to 40 overs which means that each bowler can only bowl a maximum of 8 overs. It therefor means that Rabada is now the world record holder for the best ODI bowling figures on debut.
Well done.
Bangladesh all out for 160 after 36.3 overs.
@ Angostura:
We agree on something then.
My “problem” was with your appeal to me to “have some understanding for HM’s experiment”.
I don’t and I’m not going to try to. It smacks of crap.
nortie wrote:
Net so kak soos ‘n paar seisoene terug toe hy op die bank moes sit terwyl AC vir Mossie en Donkie gespeel het
Nama wrote:
WTF is a “Dutch Cat”?
Nama wrote:
How many do you want?
What’s the magic number?
15?
23?
When will you be satisfied?
good start by KG in ODI cricket, he is lucky this is not a test match, he would have been dropped and never tried again 😆
nortie wrote:
Hy voel seker net soos JJE moet voel, was nie goed genoeg nie.
MacroPolo wrote:
Swakker as Kriel se spel op 13 tydens die SR?
MacroPolo wrote:
Mapoe kan met reg die bliksem in wees
Ek sou graag vir hom en Allende as ‘n kombinasie wou sien
Ek dink HM wil sien wat Kriel op die vlak kan doen
Hy wou vir Fourie saam met Allende gespeel het maar hy’s te onfiks en nou probeer hy vir Kriel daar
Dis ‘n risko maar dalk die moeite werd teen ‘n saamgeflansde span
Hy het darem vir Jean op die bank as die outjie vou
44 @ Victoriabok:
Onthou, Lionel Mapoe was op die krukkelys, tussen die 13 Bokke in die groep van 49, tot vroeg hierdie week.
So hoe reg en ingeoefen is Mapoe hierdie week? Ons weet nie, ons spekuleer daaroor.
Miskien is Lionel die No 13 volgende week, teen die Wallabies, siende dat Jean de Villiers nie saamtoer na Australia toe nie, maar oefenwedstryde vir WP gaan speel.
grootblousmile wrote:
My bad 🙁 Daar is so baie spelers beseer dis moeilik om tred te hou daarmee
Hoe kan Jean dan more speel as hy nog nie reg is nie?
@ nortie:
Het jy nie gese die game maak anyway nie saak nie?
@ MacroPolo:
Nee, ek het gese mens gaan nie veel leer teen daai opposisie nie.
En verder dat mens nie te veel moet verwag in die RC nie agv die feit dat soveel van sy eerste keuse spelers nie beskikbaar is nie.
Hy het klaar die rekord dat hy die enigste Bok afrigter is wat nie n 100% wen rekord het teen Argentinee nie, kans is goed dat hy nog die eerste afrigter gaan wees wie se Bok span teen hulle verloor ook.
En die eerste van die laaste 3 wat nie n RC toernooi kon wen nie
47 @ MacroPolo:
Ek het gaan kyk nou, het gese die span maak nie regtig saak nie want hulle speel teen n tjommel opposisie wat seker nie een van ons franchises sal kan klop nie….so ja, die wedstryd tel nie regtig nie.
46 @ Victoriabok:
Jean sal seker so 20 minute speelkans kry, Saterdag… dan gaan hy sy wedstrydfiksheid opskerp saam met WP in 1 of 2 oefenwedstryde waar hulle gereedmaak vir die Currie Cup.
Hy toer nie saam Aussie toe nie.
Ek dink Heyneke is desperaat om Jean reg te kry vir die Rugby World Cup, as kaptein… Heyneke het al 2 maande gelede gesê Jean sal speelkans kry teen die World XV.
grootblousmile wrote:
Dis ‘n risiko as hy nie heeltemal reg is nie
51 @ Victoriabok:
Ek sou nie vir Jean op die bench gehad het vir Saterdag nie.
Wat my aanbetref moet jou kaptein, nes ELKE ANDER SPELER, eers bewys hy hoort in die Bok groep.
So, ek sou hom eers vir WP laat speel het, en as hy daar shine, intrek as opsie vir die Bokke.
Ons probleem lê ook nie op Binnesenter (wat Jean se sleutelposisie is) nie, ons het opsies daar… maar ek dink Jean word gesien deur Meyer as Buitesenter, saam met Jan Serfontein, Lionel Mapoe, Jesse Kriel en Mossie (Jaque Fourie)… dis nou AS Damian de Allende lekker shape as Binnesenter, anders sal dit maar weer Jean op No 12 en een van die ander op Nr 13 wees.
@ nortie:
Cheika het al n game teen Arg verloor, hys seker ook maar net so dom moer? Wat is hulle soos 12e gerank in die wereld? Aus het seker nie n kans by die WB nie 😉
@ grootblousmile:
Nog n probleem is dat ons nie die “magic number” spelers het op vlueel wat fisies met die polynisiers(?) kan meeding nie, ok maar net JPP… en hy verdien dit glad nie eers nie.
@ Victoriabok:
“How many do you want?”
Just that those who’ve proven that they should be there get selected.
Even if they were 3, (with Mapoe there instead of JPP) it would’ve made more sense.
But since your foolish coach decided that Habana, JPP and Beast are his prefered 3, it got difficult for the resty to stake a claim as a starter.
Not sure why you guys are trying to defend the kak or are you saying that Kriel deserves his spot AHEAD of Mapoe?
@ Victoriabok:
“Ek dink HM wil sien wat Kriel op die vlak kan doen”
Nou hoe dink jy, waarom wil HM NIE sien wat Mapoe op die vlak kan doen nie? Hy’t ook nog nie op die vlak gespeel nie, maar heeljaar gewys dat hy die beste 13 (op vorm) in die land is.
Hou op kak verdedig.
Maar nou ja, jy glo mos dat as daar meer as 3 donker spelers in die span is dan sal ons moet begin meeding met Italie en Samoa vir plek no. 10 op die wereld ranglys.
@ MacroPolo:
So, daardeur probeer jy se dat die vleuel posisie gereserveer is vir sekere spelers om die “magic number” te haal?
Kom kwotas.
Laat die franchises GEDWING word om sekere spelers in ander posisies ook te kies.
@ Nama:
Stormers het klaar bewys dat “kwotas” nie noodwendig beteken dat jy die swakste span sal wees nie.
Sekere spanne wat nog steeds glo aan twee “kwota” vleuels en een ander het ver onder hulle geeindig op die SR “log”.
@ MacroPolo:
“Nog n probleem is dat ons nie die “magic number” spelers het op vlueel wat fisies met die polynisiers(?) kan meeding nie, ok maar net JPP…”
Baie dom stelling, as jy my vra.
Habana? Kan hy fisies meeding met die Polinisiers?
Ek wonder hoe sal Dominici oor jou stelling voel!
Problem counting to 4?
FWIW the so called ‘magic number’ representation in the current Bok starting XV is 4 (which rubbishes Nama’s assertion that HM is reluctant to go beyond 3):
Damian de Allende is a person of colour of mixed race descent.
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