I’m pumped to bow out playing AGAINST England!
George Kruis delighted to sign off with Baa-Baas at Twickenham on Sunday
GEORGE KRUIS is sitting in the lobby of the five- star Hermitage Hotel in Monte Carlo, surrounded by socialites and turbocharged sports cars, trying to remember his first-ever interview.
He has been a household name in English rugby for the best part of a decade but now, at the age of just 32, he is ready to deliver his final interview before he hangs up his boots.
‘I can guarantee you it would have been shocking,’ laughs Kruis, who is at the Barbarians training camp in Monaco. ‘I’ve never really been one for the media-facing stuff — unless it’s to plug my business! When I retire on Sunday I’ll be more than happy to sneak off into the background and live a quiet-ish life.’
Just across the room, beside the exquisite art on the walls, giant lock Will Skelton is trying to catch his eye, motioning to go for a post-training pint in the spirit of the Barbarians.
‘The camaraderie is what I’ll miss,’ he says. ‘It does feel a touch weird that this is my last week, but I’ve known I’m going to retire for three or four months now.
‘It’s settled in and I’m genuinely pumped about finishing up in a Baa-Baas shirt against England. This is something I’ve always wanted to do. I’m rooming with Skelton and it’s great to link back up with a player who I
spent a good bit of my career with at Saracens.
‘We went to the palace this week, hosted by Prince Albert, who is an absolute boss. You don’t get to do these things too often.
‘I’ve been fortunate to make so many different styles of memories. I’ve been able to play in Japan, go to different stadiums, meet different people. But I’m ready to move on to the
next chapter and I’m super excited about that.’
Kruis is intent on finishing up with a victory. This Barbarians team is loaded with French internationals — and headed up by their entire coaching team — and he is still sweating from a gruelling 30°C (86°F) training session as we speak. They have watched clips of late Baa-Baas icon Phil Bennett in meetings and want to honour his memory with a display of style and power.
‘Most of the presentations have been in French but Phil Bennett has definitely been talked about,’ he says. ‘With the French players in the team, there’s a lot of powerful boys who will want to turn it on. But you want to win at the end of the day. It will be interesting to see what style England come out with.’
For Kruis, the match may feel like a changing of the guard. He has not played for England since 2020, having opted to move to Japan and devote more time to his fourfive vitamins business.
A younger generation of players have stepped in and, despite their poor finish in the Six Nations, Kruis is optimistic about their chances at next year’s World Cup. ‘Sometimes I feel people are a bit tough on England,’ he says. ‘The game has changed to become a bit more attacking and they’ve had to adapt.
‘ With all the depth, there’s heaps to be excited about. South Africa showed in 2019 that it’s all about peaking at the right time.
‘Eddie Jones has still got the biggest winning percentage as an English coach. He gets a tough rap. It’s unbelievable how much s*** he gets, undeservedly. He’s one of the hardest working people I’ve ever seen. Always very forward-thinking.
‘The sacrifices he makes are huge and maybe people just see the more fiery bits. Over the years I’ve been grateful to have him as a coach and we’ll definitely have a beer together after the game.’
Kruis namechecks two of his former club team-mates — Ben Earl and Nick Isiekwe — as international stars of the future.
‘ A t h l e t i c a l l y, Nick is unbelievably good. I think he will have a coming of age. He’s got a good frame on him and he’s learning from Maro Itoje, who is the best in the world.’
They will be in action for Saracens on Saturday, in the Premiership final at Twickenham, and Kruis is backing his old team to beat Leicester and reassert their status as England’s heavyweights.
‘I never doubted them after they were relegated,’ he says. ‘They did a good job of holding on to players. They built a culture and the players want to pay that back and show the culture drove the team forward. They’ve got a story behind what they’re doing now.
‘When you win, win, win and things are very good you can lose your path a little bit. They didn’t do that, they got relegated for salary- cap reasons. But having that story of coming back and being able to do it clean is a big galvaniser.
‘We got a lot of hate for that. They went down and did their job in the Championship and pressed on again. I might see if I can get along to Twickenham after our captains run. It will be a brilliant final and I think Sarries will win.’
Kruis will be more than comfortable watching from the sidelines, before he disappears into the distance in his typically understated style.