Last hurrah for Bok veterans
There are a number of veteran Springboks including the likes of World Cup-winners Victor Matfield, Fourie du Preez and Schalk Burger who are likely to be playing their last Test match in the third place play-off against Argentina, and Kriel said that the younger members of the squad are determined to see them end their careers on a high.
Coach Heyneke Meyer’s reaction to the heartbreaking 18-20 semifinal defeat by New Zealand was to give his squad a few days off, to mend bruised bodies and clear troubled minds.
Although the match means little in the grand scheme of things, Kriel said that the players will still be giving their all in an attempt to end the tournament on a high.
"I don’t think we will lack for motivation. Some of the older players might be playing their last game and we have to play for their respect and just showing them how much they really mean to South Africa. It’s a big burden on our shoulders to give them a good performance and to send them off on a good note," he said.
The enduring image of the semifinal loss to the All Blacks was Sonny Bill Williams consoling a disconsolate Kriel at the final whistle of a match which could have gone either way.
"I can’t remember what he said," was Kriel’s laughing reaction to the obvious question, before adding: "He said, 'Don’t worry, it’s going to be OK', then he helped me up and that was quite nice. It shows the kind of player and the kind of person that he is and shows what rugby is all about," he said.
There is an inevitable changing of the guard after every World Cup and the Springbok squad still features eight survivors from the 2007 tournament, which suggests the end of the road for many of them at international level.
Yet the way Lodewyk de Jager stepped in when Victor Matfield was injured, the growing maturity of Eben Etzebeth, the increasing stature of Pollard, and the experience gained at this tournament bodes well for the future.
South Africa’s English assistant coach, John McFarland, believes that the signs are good and highlighted the contributions of locks Etzebeth, De Jager and Peter-Steph du Toit and the midfield of Pollard, Kriel and Damian de Allende.
"When you look at the three young locks, they are the future of South Africa rugby," McFarland said. "I was fortunate enough with my career – with the Bulls and now with the Boks – that we played with Bakkies (Botha), Victor (Matfield) and Danie (Rossouw). South Africa is set up for the future now with those three young locks.
"It was interesting talking to Ian Foster (New Zealand assistant coach). We are playing with Jesse, Damian and Handre, who maybe have just over 40 caps between them, whereas the New Zealand midfield would have 330. Those guys are going to play in another three World Cups, potentially. This has been a great experience for them."
Pollard echoed those sentiments, saying: "It is something we take with us for the rest of our careers. It will be the mentality that nothing can get worse than this, the pressure we’ve been under after that first week."
The final word belongs to Kriel, who is expecting a tough challenge from the Pumas.
"They throw the ball around a bit, they are a passionate side, they chop legs, so breakdown will be a big challenge on Friday," said Kriel. "But we will definitely be up for it."
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