Boks have a 'pro' to lead them after Kolisi blow
SPOTLIGHT: Springboks head coach Rassie Erasmus says Jesse Kriel is the perfect player to use the pain from last weekend’s defeat to the Wallabies and lead South Africa to redemption in Cape Town.
Erasmus confirmed that the centre will take over the captaincy after Siya Kolisi was ruled out with a knee injury.
Kriel led the Boks in their season opener against the Barbarians before he became South Africa’s 67th Test captain a week later against Italy in Pretoria.
At the time, Erasmus explained that Kriel is “probably one of the biggest students of the game”, and he echoed that statement this week ahead of the Rugby Championship Round Two clash on Saturday.
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“He is a guy who studies the position a lot – he studies rugby a lot,” Erasmus told reporters in Cape Town on Monday.
“I think he is turning 31, but he is in tip-top shape.
“He can back up his words with actions on the field.
“He is one of the most professional players that I’ve been involved with. Maybe him and Andre Venter in terms of how they look after their bodies.”
The Springboks will be desperate to right the wrongs after their 22-38 defeat to the Wallabies at Ellis Park, and Kriel is one of those players hurting.
“He is also a guy who felt it last weekend for the whole 80 minutes in the loss against Australia, so he will be really up for it.
“Most of the time, he is vice-captain if Eben [Etzebeth] and Siya are off, so normally we would like to have a forward as a captain.
“But Jesse has always been a pro and he did really well in the first two games when he was captain.”
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