Jesse Kriel — captain of the Bok defence is in fine fighting form, looking beyond RWC 2027

Bok centre Jesse Kriel is consoled by All Black Sonny Bill Williams after the 2015 Rugby World Cup semifinal. Photo: Shaun Botterill/Getty Images

By Craig Ray

18 Aug 2024

Early defeats built the Springbok centre’s resilience, and playing club rugby in Japan has honed his conditioning. Now he is keen to evolve.

There is a poignant picture of Springbok centre Jesse Kriel, sitting slumped on the Twickenham turf with All Black great Sonny Bill Williams offering his commiserations.

It was moments after the final whistle of the Rugby World Cup 2015 semifinal, which the All Blacks won 20-18. In the picture, Kriel, only 21 at the time, is distraught. Williams, recognising a special talent and showing his own class in victory, is offering a kind gesture and a word.

It’s a snapshot of a more difficult time for Kriel and the Boks. But it’s also a snapshot of the pain that drives Kriel and others to be better.

He toiled through the dark years of 2016 and 2017 as the Boks slumped to a succession of record losses. Each setback, though, made him stronger.

Nine years on from that semifinal, Kriel has won two RWC gold medals and is one part of the most capped Springbok midfield of all time, alongside Damian de Allende. He’s playing the best rugby of his career, he’s a leader in the team and he is motivated to play well beyond the next World Cup in Australia in 2027.

“Those tough times have definitely made me a better player, a better Springbok,” Kriel said. “Especially mental resilience. Test rugby is all about mental resilience to deal with what happens during the game, what happens outside of playing and in things like dealing with the media. I’ve built a lot of resilience through some adversity.”

Kriel has never been fitter, stronger, more confident, or better. He is the embodiment of how far the Boks have come and how much ambition they still have.

There are few, if any, rugby players in the world in better shape than Kriel. His body-fat percentage is in the single figures, and his attention to detail in the gym and on the training field translates into superb performances week in and week out.

Kriel plays his club rugby for the Canon Eagles in Japan and when he’s in South Africa he does cross-code training with world champion boxer Kevin Lerena.

“I like cross-training in general. It keeps me stimulated,” Kriel said. “So I’ll run along the beachfront promenade or go mountain biking as well.

“Playing in Japan also plays a big part in my conditioning... It is such a competitive league and there are so many former All Blacks, Fijians and Tongans playing.”

Kriel recently turned 30 and, given his current fitness and motivation levels, he says he wants to play at the top for another eight years.

Not done yet

It’s the kind of statement that raises eyebrows. Does he really believe he can still be as good by RWC 2031 in the US when he will be 37?

“I definitely think I can be,” Kriel said. “The sports science in training has changed so much. The GPS tracking, data monitoring, access to... trainers has changed.

“There is so much science out there and if you have an open mind to that it really can make a huge difference.”

In the early days of the Rassie Erasmus/Jacques Nienaber era in 2018 and 2019, Kriel and Lukhanyo Am were in a tough battle for the starting outside centre berth.

Bok centre Jesse Kriel is consoled by All Black Sonny Bill Williams after the 2015 Rugby World Cup semifinal. (Photo: Shaun Botterill / Getty Images)

An injury early on in RWC 2019 ruled Kriel out of the tournament and Am became the leading man in the No 13 jersey as the Boks swept to glory. Am played a key role in the Boks’ first try in the final, and their first try in their third RWC final, as he put Makazole Mapimpi away.

For Kriel that setback was tempered by the team’s success and, given the nature of the sport, it was Am who suffered injuries in 2023 and opened the door for Kriel to have a starring role in last year’s World Cup success in France.

“People have complimented me on a great World Cup and that’s nice, but it’s not like it just happened,” he said. “It was the result of years and years of work and of trying to be a little better every day. Playing week in and week out in Japan built confidence. You also have to stay open to ideas and instruction from coaches. All of that adds up.”

Captain defence

Kriel is now one of the first names Erasmus puts on the teamsheet for the big Tests. Kriel is the captain of the defence and has done that job admirably for the past few years.

But with the Bok attacking evolution, it is obvious to see that Kriel is also tapping into the other side of his game. The way he cut through three defenders against Australia in Brisbane recently and then threw a superb pass to put wing Kurt-Lee Arendse into space underlined those skills.

Kriel has always had attacking flair and a sharp rugby brain – last year’s stupendous low kick for Cheslin Kolbe to swoop onto and score against France in the RWC 2023 quarterfinal being an example – but he seems more comfortable to attack now.

The appointment of assistant coach Tony Brown, whose mandate is to develop the Boks’ attack, is inspiring Kriel and others.

“Rassie deserves credit for setting the tone but we as players also sat down and discussed our evolution,” Kriel said. “If we want to become a better team we can’t just carry on and do the same things. If you look at F1 for instance, there is a constant search for marginal gains.

Read more: Boks’ rolling maul powers their path to victory in pouring Perth against committed Wallabies

“You’ve got to change things up, regardless of whether it’s tough in the beginning and some things don’t work. You’ve got to constantly challenge yourself and not get comfortable.

“It is hard for me to adequately explain how good Tony has been with his mindset around attack.

“Last year you would never have seen us offloading in Tests. He has us doing drills in training to hone that skill. He has solutions for every situation. He has a very positive way of seeing how rugby should be played.

“Tony has the whole squad excited about attacking; it means a different vibe and players are excited to get the ball in their hands – you’re seeing big guys like Eben Etzebeth and Pieter-Steph du Toit offloading like backs.

“But I still take huge pride in running the defence too – that hasn’t changed.” DM

This story first appeared in our weekly Daily Maverick 168 newspaper, which is available countrywide for R35.

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