Springbok Jesse Kriel says they want to show Australia what battle-hardened looks like when the two sides clash in Saturday’s opening Test match of the Castle Lager Rugby Championship (TRC).
Before and since arriving in South Africa, there has been a lot of talk from the Wallabies camp and pundits over in Australia about how thick their skins are since facing the British & Lions. The Aussies lost the series 2-1 but after winning the final Test convincingly by 22-12, their tails are up and are looking to end a four-match losing streak against South Africa.
Wallabies Take Pot Shots At Bok Form
Pot shots have also been taken at the Boks for facing ‘weak opposition’ during their July Incoming Tour series, where coach Rassie Erasmus’s men easily beat Italy in two Tests before swatting aside Georgia in their third encounter.
There were some hiccups in the Boks’s execution – especially at the breakdowns – but Kriel believes those problems have been sorted out as they gear up to defend their TRC crown.
We have very high standards in this environment and there is also good competition in each position, so we spent the last few weeks working on our conditioning and match detail, and we are confident about our level of preparation going into the game.
Everyone is entitled to their opinions about what battle-hardened is, but for us it’s about how you pitch up at training every day, and we are excited about the match.
The former Vodacom Bulls midfield ace is also excited about partnering up with blockbusting inside centre Andre Esterhuizen, after Damian de Allende was not considered because of a niggling injury.
It’s no secret that Andre is devastating with the ball in hand, and he also has a great understanding of the game. It’s been great to see how he and Damian have been working together and trying to help one another become better. He’s a great guy to get us moving forward and trying to get us on the front foot.
Saturday’s match kicks off at 17h10 and will be broadcast live on SuperSport.
