Jesse Kriel is excited for Andre Esterhuizen to “show what he can do” against the Wallabies at Ellis Park on Saturday.
Kriel captained the Springboks against the Barbarians and in the first Test against Italy in July, starting at outside centre, with Damian de Allende at inside centre. He was rested for the second Test against Italy and the clash with Georgia, but returns at No 13 for the Rugby Championship opener.
Esterhuizen, who started at 12 in the second Test against Italy, gets another opportunity in Joburg.
“Andre’s devastating with ball in hand and has a great understanding of the game, like Damian does,” said Kriel. “It’s been great to see how closely they work together to improve each other’s games.
“I’ve played with Andre quite a bit, including against Australia, so I’m excited for him to show what he can do.”
The pair are expected to go head-to-head against Wallabies midfielders Len Ikitau and Joseph Suaalii, who formed a settled combination in the recent series against the British & Irish Lions.
“They are both great athletes with excellent skill sets,” said Kriel. “They showed in the Lions series what they can do, so for us it’s about going out there, executing what we’ve trained, and embracing the challenge.”
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Kriel believes the Boks’ preparation over the past three weeks has them well-placed to face a Wallabies side that pushed the Lions to the brink.
“We drive extremely high standards in this environment, with so much competition in every position,” he said. “Personally, I feel very confident about the level of preparation we’ve put in and I’m excited for the weekend.
“We’ll see on Saturday whether we’re battle-hardened enough. For me, it’s about how you pitch up every day – your mindset in training and throughout the week.
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“Representing South Africa is a huge opportunity, and no one here takes it lightly. We’ll be ready for the challenge.”
Photo: Anton Geyser/Gallo Images
