Kriel eager to inspire Lions against Glasgow in Challenge Cup quarterfinal

Former Spingbok and Lions veteran flank Jaco Kriel is eager to try and inspire his side to what would be a famous Challenge Cup quarterfinal win over Glasgow Warriors at the Scotstoun Stadium on Saturday night (kick-off 9pm).

Kriel has been brought straight back into the starting line-up after a five week injury enforced layoff, as he takes the place of Emmanuel Tshituka who received a three week ban after his red card in the last 16 win over Racing 92 last weekend.

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Kriel is one of the few Lions players with European experience, having played in the Champions Cup during his time with Gloucester a few years back and he will want to help his side on his return.

“It is good to be back in the match 23. It’s always nice to be back out on the field with the boys. It’s going to be my first game in five weeks. The last time I played was also against Glasgow (in the URC at Ellis Park),” said Kriel ahead of the match.

“So it’s going to be good to face them at their home ground in the quarterfinals. It’s going to be a massive clash and they are an in-form team at the moment and will be a good one for us to test ourselves against.”

The last game Kriel played in was a good home win over Glasgow in the United Rugby Championship, which set the Lions on a superb four match winning streak and they will want to take that momentum into the knockout match.

Different Glasgow

It is however a very different Glasgow side to the one that competed in Johannesburg, as they have all of their Six Nations internationals back who were unavailable at that time.

But the Lions will be massively pumped up after a massive 51-28 win over French giants Racing last weekend and they will be keen to prove that wasn’t a fluke.

“The growth of the squad has been amazing over the past few months and the last couple of games have been incredible in the character the boys have shown which is good to see,” said Kriel.

“It will never be perfect on a rugby pitch, but one thing you must never doubt is effort and I really believe that the last couple of games the boys have shown immense effort under pressure, which is good to see.

“Especially our 14-man win over Racing 92 last week, it was brilliant to see and it made me so proud as a senior player to see the junior lads putting up their hands and playing amazing rugby.”

Kriel continued: “It is going to be one heck of a game. Glasgow coach Franco Smith already said in the press that they made a lot of mistakes in their win against the Dragons and that it was still an amazing performance.

“But it’s knockout rugby, and anything can happen. We just have to stick to our processes, do what we do and control what we can control. At the end of the day nobody can say what the result will be, but we will do what we can do away against Glasgow.”