Springbok centre Jesse Kriel, who will captain South Africa for the first time on Saturday in the Qatar Airways Cup against the Barbarians, was trilled about being bestowed that honour and said he cannot wait to lead the team onto the field.
Kriel takes over the captaincy from Siya Kolisi, who was forced to withdraw from the match due to a niggle.
The world-class midfielder, who has amassed 79 caps since making his Test debut in 2015, admitted that while there was a brief stint of nervousness after receiving the news, he is keen for the challenge, and he drew comfort from the fact that there were so many leaders within the team, saying it would make his job easier.
“I’m excited an honoured,” said Kriel.
“One of the big aspects of our team is that everyone takes ownership in their areas on the game, so this match won’t be any different for me on Saturday.
“I’m very happy about accepting this responsibility, and although I was a little nervous at one stage, I’m keen to go out there and lead the team.
“Fortunately, we have a lot of leaders in guys like Lood (de Jager), Malcolm (Marx), Damian (de Allende), Cheslin (Kolbe), and Kurt-Lee (Arendse), so having them in the team will make my job easier.”
Springbok assistant coach Mzwandile Stick was equally excited to see Kriel fulfil the role, and he was confident that the hard-working centre would deliver on the expectations on him.
“We always try to give players as much time as possible to recover from niggles, and since Siya has a stiff neck, we thought it would be best not to risk him for this game,” said Stick.
“As part of our planning we also try to build more leaders in the group, and Jesse has always been in that category, and I’m excited to see how he assumes that role this weekend.”
Both Kriel and Stick were ecstatic about the international season officially kicking off and said facing the Barbarians was the ideal match for the team as they prepare for the Castle Lager Incoming Series against Italy and Georgia.
“People missed Bok Fridays, and as a team we know that when the Boks play it brings an exciting vibe to the country,” said Stick.
“The Proteas have done very well (winning the World Test Championship), and Bafana Bafana and Banyana Banyana are doing well too, so we would like to build on that.
“As a team we enjoy making a difference in the South Africa and hopefully we can continue to make the country proud.”
Kriel shared these sentiments: “As a team are excited to be involved in an international match again. We all work really hard at our clubs to get here, and this is what we live for as players, so we are certainly approaching this match as a Test, and we have no doubt it will set the tone for the season ahead.”
Zoning in on the Barbarians, Stick said: “They have players with that X-factor and many leaders in their team as well. Given the fact that it is tough to analyse them, we feel this is exactly the type of test we need to start off the international season.
“This obviously means our players have to make wise decisions on the field, and given the calibre of their players, we know it’s going to be a challenging match.”
Stick emphasised, however, that their focus in the Springbok camp was to tick their boxes to lay a strong foundation for the season ahead.
The match will be hosted at the DHL Stadium and kick-off is at 17h10.
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