Francois Louw, Schalk Burger and possibly Marcell Coetzee are in front of him in the queue to don the Springbok No 6 jumper at this year’s World Cup in England, but the Lions’ Jaco Kriel is determined to give them a good run for their money in the build-up to that tournament.
We may be just in the second week of this year’s Super Rugby competition, but Kriel is already relishing the prospect of going head to head with the Sharks’ Coetzee – a player who featured regularly for the Boks last season and was one of this country’s standout players in 2014.
Kriel, for his part, made a name for himself in a much-improved Lions team last year, winning a spot on Heyneke Meyer’s squad for the November tour of Europe. The Lions openside flank didn’t get a game, but he says the experience of training alongside the likes of Coetzee has given him a boost ahead of this season.
“Look, it was great to go on tour (with the Boks), it awoke a hunger in me even though I didn’t get a game. It’s going to be a great challenge now for me to play against these guys, men like Marcell and even Jean Deysel, who’re both Boks. Marcell’s right up there.”
The Lions loose-trio though of Kriel, Derick Minnie and Warren Whiteley – the only full Bok of the group – haven’t had to stand back to anyone in recent years and they’ll fancy their chances against the Sharks trio when the teams meet in a Super Rugby match in Durban this weekend.
“It’s a new challenge every week, no matter who the loose-trio is. The Sharks trio is full of talent so it’s going to be a big one for us.”
Both teams will be desperate to bag the victory after failing at the first hurdle – the Lions going down to the Hurricanes and the Sharks falling to the Cheetahs.
So while Kriel believes the Sharks will hit back with force, he also believes that if the Cheetahs can win in Durban then there’s no reason why the Lions can’t do the same.
“The Cheetahs were really good in the match and the fact they won makes it a little tougher for us. They’re going to come at us with everything, but having said that it just shows that in this competition anyone can beat another team on a day.
“There are no easy matches in Super Rugby; we saw that with the six away wins last weekend, but also, playing in Durban is tough and the Sharks are a side packed with Springboks.”
After this weekend’s match the Lions face the Stormers in Joburg before going abroad for four weeks. They’ll be desperate to climb on the plane with points in the bag. “It’s a big game for us this weekend, but then they’re all big. We need to get some points before our tour and after losing at home first up we need to win next week as well ... those home games are vital.”
There were no major injury casualties from week one, while Lions boss Johan Ackermann also has Bok tourists Julian Redelinghuys and Robbie Coetzee to call on this week. The two front-row forwards were unavailable for the Hurricanes game, but are almost sure to come into the matchday squad for the trip to Durban.
Ackermann will name his team tomorrow. - The Star