Jake White's All Blacks-like prediction about Bulls' David Kriel

Jake White has made a bold prediction about the potential of Bulls’ David Kriel, who was transformed by a lengthy run of selection this past season at outside centre. The 25-year-old, who has signed a contract extension through to 2027, was previously considered as a full-back, but his development was transformed during the 2023/24 campaign where he played for his URC franchise in both midfield positions, but mainly at No13. 

That development, along with other general squad improvements, has allowed head coach White to appreciate what the Bulls achieved in reaching their second URC final in three seasons. His team were ambushed at home at Loftus Versfeld in the 2024 title decider by Glasgow in June, but he has since explained his appreciation of the strides made by his team.

Amongst the reasons why he doesn’t consider the gutting defeat as all doom and gloom was the progress of uncapped Springboks wannabe Kriel in a different position on the field. Speaking to SA Rugby Magazine, White reasoned: “Tana Umaga and Ma’a Nonu started on the wing before becoming some of the best centres in the world. Jordie Barrett is on a similar trajectory. 

“There is no reason David, who has played close to 80 minutes of every game this season and gone from being an outside back without exceptional pace to one of the fastest inside backs, can’t do the same. But imagine I could pair him up with a guy like Damian de Allende or Jan Serfontein. Equally, Cameron (Hanekom), who had an outstanding season but is still young and has a lot to learn. Imagine if he was scrumming behind the experience of RG Snyman?”

White added that he was happy to give an interview to the South African magazine even though the Bulls had been surprisingly tipped over by the Warriors in a final they were expected to win. “I’m glad I’m doing this interview. It would have been easy to give an interview if we won, saying everything is good, but it is so much more than the final result.

“We lost the final, but what we are doing here is working. We have a crowd coming back to Loftus and it’s not just people from Pretoria. You have got guys coming in from Limpopo and other outlying areas to watch the guys play live. 

“When it comes down to a season being decided by the final 40 minutes of the final game, you have to be doing something right as a collective throughout the year, so the question becomes, ‘What gets the guys over the line next time?’

“To make it to the quarter-finals of the Champions Cup, to host all three URC play-off games is no small feat and I am proud of how we did it. In a squad of 50 guys, nobody felt alienated or left out of the season. Everybody bought in and felt immersed in the success of the season and in that regard I feel we got it spot on.”