Jesse Kriel during the South African national rugby team training session and fan engagement at Shiranami Stadium on September 09, 2019 in Kagoshima, Japan. (Photo by Steve Haag/Gallo Images)
Jesse Kriel might be missing the thrill of a second successive World Cup semifinal appearance, but the injured Springbok centre is grateful he won’t have to experience the potential heartache of another disappointment.
By extension, he sincerely hopes the same for his teammates in Sunday’s battle with Wales in Yokohama, Japan.
The versatile 25-year-old midfielder, who had to return home from the tournament early due to a hamstring problem, was at the centre of the 2015 showpiece’s most iconic moments.
Following the All Blacks’ gritty 20-18 semifinal victory over the Boks at Twickenham, Kriel immediately sat on the ground next to the posts, visibly emotional. Then New Zealand centre Sonny Bill Williams came over, sitting on his haunches and consoling his direct opponent, who was 21 at the time. They stood up together.
“I just literally dropped, I was so disappointed,” Kriel said. “I couldn’t believe what happened to be honest. It was a great gesture by a great man.
“We emptied the tank mentally and physically that day. We really had a great week of preparation too, so we had invested a lot.”
As a result, he would be grateful for a positive result at the corresponding stage four years later.
“Hopefully, we get one better this time … and even another one better! I certainly didn’t want to be the guy who’s picked up again from the ground and I don’t think my team-mates want to be either,” said Kriel.
The good news is that a large chunk of 2019’s vintage only has good memories facing Wales in the showpiece tournament. No less than 10 match-day squad members were involved in the difficult but stirring 23-19 triumph in a quarterfinal four years ago, courtesy of a moment of brilliance from Duane Vermeulen and Fourie du Preez.
“That was actually a spur-of-the-moment thing,” Vermeulen said, when asked if he had something similar up his sleeve.
“We’ll see during the week if I can try something different, try something new. It’s not a team you can’t score against, but you have to be clinical in what you do and how you approach that.”
– heinzs@citizen.co.za
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