Jesse Kriel Ready to Lead Springboks Against Barbarians

Springbok centre Jesse Kriel will captain South Africa for the first time on Saturday when the Springboks face the Barbarians in the Qatar Airways Cup at the DHL Stadium in Cape Town.

Kriel steps into the leadership role after regular captain Siya Kolisi was forced to withdraw from the match due to a minor niggle. While Kolisi is being rested as a precaution, Kriel is fully embracing the opportunity.

The world-class midfielder, who has earned 79 caps since his Test debut in 2015, admitted to feeling a brief moment of nerves when he received the news but said he is eager to rise to the occasion.

“I’m excited and 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 expressed his confidence in Kriel, praising the hard-working centre’s leadership qualities and readiness for the responsibility.

“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 shared their excitement for the return of the international season, with Saturday’s clash seen as a valuable stepping stone toward 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 South Africa and hopefully we can continue to make the country proud.”

Kriel echoed this excitement: “As a team we 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.”

Stick also highlighted the unique challenge posed by the Barbarians and how the nature of the match will test the Springboks' on-field decision-making.

“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 that the Springboks remain focused on their own systems and building the right foundations for the season ahead.

The highly anticipated clash kicks off at 17:10 at the DHL Stadium, where Springbok fans will once again rally behind their team.