Springboks looking for overdue win in Cardiff says Jesse Kriel
Jesse Kriel will target an overdue Springboks win in Cardiff when world champions South Africa tackle Wales on Saturday.
Kriel has started 37 of his 48 Tests as a centre, but he will feature on the wing this weekend in a team showing just three changes from the side that beat Rugby Championship opponents New Zealand last month.
Wales have won their last four home games against South Africa, with the Springboks not having toppled them in Cardiff for eight years.
Kriel played in the 2017 and 2018 encounters, scoring a try each time, but Wales still posted respective 24-22 and 20-11 victories.
“They were both close Tests, and we obviously know – it was a different (Wales) coaching staff back then – that they had a very simple game-plan that they executed really well.
“We just didn’t handle it as well as we should have in those two games, but it is obviously something that we are aware of and it’s something we have worked hard on.
“We have also come a long way as a team.”
Despite being without injured World Cup winners Cheslin Kolbe and Faf de Klerk, South Africa will display enviable strength this weekend.
They field nine of the side that started the 2019 World Cup final against England, including five forwards, as they target an opening Autumn Nations Series victory before tackling Scotland and then England.
Kriel added: “It’s great to have the whole squad together and keep the continuity.
“Everyone is very excited about it. It’s not going to be easy – it will be a massive Test match.
“Everyone does their analysis and we watch games, so you have always got an idea of what a team is going to bring and what their DNA is going into the game.
“But there is always that 20 per cent of what you don’t know they are going to bring.
“So it is just about focusing on our systems and doing things the way we want to – dominating the physical part of things – and the rest will sort itself out.”
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Even with absences we still had the cattle to make the playoffs. As it was, we nearly stumbled our way into the top 8. Which shows just how easy it was to get there. And still we failed. As for Razor, there are many instances of him patching up the Crusaders roster. Numerous. Several players I'd never heard of. Also, using AB legend John Afoa was a classic.
But, some of the games we were losing were from schoolboy errors, or downright confusion. Either the players were really dumb (they weren’t) or they were poorly coached. Given the repetitive nature of errors, brain fades, poor decision making, & loose structures, this all lands with the coaching group.
With only six playoff spots now in SR, & Aussie franchises now consolidated to four, 2025 looks like a tight one. I'm picking we'll have to tough it out under Penney & hope for the best.
Go to commentsAgree we need a 10, 12, 13 refresh. ASAP. Well, next season now lol. Reiko should be put back on the wing. He'll be an absolute menace there. Imagine 11 Reiko 14 Clarke 15 Jordan as the backfield unit.
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