Kriel sets his sights on becoming rugby royalty
IT SAYS a lot about the ambition of Blue Bulls fullback Jessie Kriel that the 20-yearold sets surpassing All Black great Christian Cullen’s achievements as his career goal.
Forget trying to emulate Johan Roets, Gavin “Flawless” Lawless, Zane Kirchner or even the Rolls Royce of fullbacks, Andre Joubert. Kriel is aiming for rugby royalty.
Kriel was three years old when Springbok winger James Small tripped Cullen as he scored one of the most iconic All Black tries in Auckland in 1997. The All Black legend had rounded off a runaway move that started deep in his own half, which Small failed to stop with his sliding tackle.
Kriel was five when Cullen, playing at right wing, rounded Pieter Rossouw to score in the corner during the 1999 Tri Nations helping the All Blacks to a win on South African soil.
His 46 tries in 58 tests will take some effort to match, let alone outdo. But it will please the Bulls faithful no end to have a young man with sights firmly set on achieving greatness, as they deal with lean years after the end of their team’s decade-long dynasty.
Kriel said: “The one person I looked up to as a fullback was Christian Cullen.
“He is an all-time great of the game. He ran awesome lines and scored some of the most impressive tries I have ever seen.
“He also assisted wonderfully for some brilliant tries. I liked how he played but I obviously don’t want to be the same as him – I want to be better.
“But I’ve got to work hard to get there.”
Kriel will start from the bench against the Sharks at Loftus today (5pm) having recovered from an ankle injury that kept him out for weeks.
The promising Maritzburg College old boy could face the union that made him, for the first time at senior level, a prospect he’s relishing.
Kriel has faced his old union at junior levels before – Under- 19 and Under-21 – but this will be the first time he comes up against the senior jersey he once longed to put on. He reckons the team that makes the fewest mistakes could shape this evenly matched contest.
“It is always nice playing against the Sharks. These are the kind of games you want to play in, the hard and close ones,” the former SA under-20 star .
“I’ll have to approach it like any other game and just try to have some fun. I want to play well and help the team get a result and that is where I’ll have to centre my focus.”
Elsewhere, Western Province will try to dust themselves down after suffering their first loss of the season against the Golden Lions in Johannesburg last weekend.
This weekend they host Griquas at Newlands. The injury bug is around Cape Town after Siya Kolisi followed Seabelo Senatla to the infirmary.
King William’s Town-born Sikhumbuzo Notshe has a chance to shine on his first start for Province. So too does sevens star Justin Geduld at left wing.