Springbok captain Jesse Kriel expects Cheslin Kolbe, Kurt-Lee Arendse to dazzle at Loftus

Jesse Kriel says opposition defenders are not the only ones left confused when Cheslin Kolbe and Kurt-Lee Arendse get the ball. The Springbok captain says he is also left scratching his head as the pair of pinballs ricochet around the field.

At outside centre, Kriel has the best seat in the house and often the final pass to the wingers comes from him.

“Sometimes it is very confusing,” Kriel smiled at his captain’s press conference ahead of Saturday’s Test match against Italy in Pretoria.

“You give those guys the ball and you don’t know where they are going to go, which is a problem because you have to clear the ensuing breakdown. Often it is guesswork, but yes, it is wonderful to play with two guys of that calibre.

“And they are not the only ones. We have unbelievable talent. The thing about Cheslin and Kurt-Lee is that they are the most humble guys you will ever meet. They are salt of the earth guys willing to sacrifice for the team. That is why they are even more brilliant than what you see on the field.”

The Boks are expected to hammer an Italian side bereft of half a dozen of their (rested) top players, but this worries the captain.

“I think the rugby world has made a massive mistake by writing off Italy,” Kriel said. "Italy are an extremely passionate rugby nation and a good rugby side. We certainly have not written them off, and that is reflected in our preparation this week. It has been an intense week. We are expecting a hungry Italy side at Loftus.”

After a 50-point romp against the ill-prepared Barbarians last week, the Boks have switched into full-blown Test-match mode.

“This is our first official Test of the season, and it is extremely important that we get off on the right note,” Kriel said. “We have worked very hard over the last month because we have a massive season ahead.

“We want to have a good start. We know the impact that winning Test matches has on South Africa, what it does for our nation. We don’t take that lightly, and it is something the boys are aware of. It excites us.”

Italy are a side that runs on emotion, and the last thing the Boks want is to allow the visitors to get wind in their sails from a good start.

“It is very important to immediately put them on the back foot,” the captain concurred. “When you look at Italy, you see emotion. “After we finish singing the national anthem, it is about what is the next job; what is your role? What can you do to get into the game?

On Friday afternoon, there were still 6,000 unsold tickets for the game, and Kriel urged Pretorians to snap them up.

“Fans can expect a very physical Test match. Expect guys like Cheslin and Kurt-Lee to get the ball and make magic. Italy also have special players. It will be an exciting match, and the Loftus crowd is special. I have played a lot of rugby in Pretoria. It is a special stadium and the first official Test of the year will be a great occasion.”

Kriel said that the 14-Test season stretching before the Boks needs a solid foundation laid by the two Tests against Italy.

“The Barbarians game is long gone. A week in rugby is a very long time. For us, the whole focus has been purely on this week. We know how big the season is and the magnitude of the games ahead of us.

“We want a strong, confident start. We must execute the things we have been working on in the alignment camps. The most important thing is for us to set up a good base for a successful season.”

Springboks team for Italy in Pretoria:

15 Damian Willemse, 14 Cheslin Kolbe, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 10 Handre Pollard, 9 Morne van den Berg, 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Vincent Tshituka, 6 Marco van Staden, 5 Lood de Jager, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Wilco Louw, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Ox Nche.

Replacements: 16 Bongi Mbonambi, 17 Jan-Hendrik Wessels, 18 Vincent Koch, 19 RG Snyman, 20 Franco Mostert, 21 Kwagga Smith, 22 Faf de Klerk, 23 Willie le Roux.