Jesse Kriel leans towards 2023 Rugby World Cup win over 2019

On Sunday at 8pm, all eyes will be on pay channel M-Net as it airs the first episode of the five-part documentary series, Chasing the Sun 2, which follows the Springboks’ journey to winning the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France.

The rugby fraternity will get to relive the exhilarating ride the Springboks took them on — one that probably aged some by a few years.

Fans will get to go behind the scenes, where they will see how the coaching staff got the team to tick, while the stories behind the players are sure to pull at the heart strings.

Seeing Chasing the Sun 2

The Springbok players too are also looking forward to seeing the documentary. One who will feature prominently in the film is outside centre Jesse Kriel.

“It’s more about seeing those events happen again. When you’re kind of in the moment at the World Cup, you have a ‘next job mentality’, focusing on the next game and the next training session,” Kriel told the media this week at a screening of Chasing the Sun 2 at MultiChoice City.

“You kind of blank things out of your head and focus on the next task at hand. There’s going to be a few things that I can’t remember that pop up and I’m going to be like, ‘that was great, that’s interesting, and that was the turning point’,” he said.

‘2023 more special than 2019’

Kriel has 2019 and 2023 World Cup winners medals and has also experienced what both triumphs have contributed towards social cohesion in the country. Asked which World Cup win was more special, Kriel leaned towards last year’s.

“I think both were equally special. I do think, however…and everyone in the team will say the same thing, 2023 meant a lot more to the people,” he said.

“We went over there with an expectation to win. South Africa saw us as winners, and people were like, ‘we can’t wait for you guys to bring this back’. People believed, whereas I think in 2019, people didn’t expect us to win the World Cup. No one really gave us a chance.

“Also now, people say thank you on the street and not well done. They honestly believed from the bottom of their hearts that we would win this World Cup. From that point, it is really special,” said the Japan-based player.

Kriel and Am bromance

In 2019, at the Japan World Cup, Kriel watched much of the event at home after picking up an injury early in the tournament. He watched on as Lukhanyo Am impressed in the number 13 jumper and went on to set the standard in the position.

Last year, it was Am who watched Kriel make the 13 jersey his own, as he helped to prepare the team and player for what was to come on match day. Kriel elaborated on his relationship with Am that has reaped plenty of rewards for the Boks.

“I’ve said this a lot of times, Lukhanyo and I share a really special relationship. He’s a good friend of mine off the field, first of all.

“I played that role for him back then (in 2019) and he helped me now, and at the end of the day we both went onto the stage and got our medals and lifted the trophy. We are both extreme competitors and we want the best for each other,” he said.

Boks gunning for third World Cup in a row

The burning question now is, can the Boks win a third World Cup in a row when it goes to Australia in 2027?

“On the bus after the World Cup final, guys were already talking about potentially winning it for the third time. It’s an extremely driven group that’s obsessed with success and we want to do well and make our country proud,” Kriel said.