In an ever-changing world, the Springboks gameplan has evolved with all their players finding their form and footing.
With the variation at 10, 12, and 15, in their backline spine it seems that Jesse Kriel, the most unlikely candidate, is the only constant in a morphing Springbok attacking game.
The flyhalf is a huge question, as to match the breaking powers of the youth, Handrè Pollard has continued to up his game, and all the while Kriel has elevated and cemented his place as the form 13 in the entire world.
Kriel is perhaps the form player of the Boks, and technically the form back of the 2023 World Cup.
When questioned, he constantly shone through, as his all-rounded game -attacking kicks, long passes, and the breaking threat spun together with an unerring consistency and brilliant execution.
An iconic try assist for Cheslin Kolbe in the France game, where he was often questioned and singled out as a weak link for the Boks.
Countless defensive reads in the big quarter-final and semis, consistently maximizing the basics of the game and executing his skillset to a tee.
Even from a structural perspective, regardless of form as one must consider the raw X-factor and creativity of Lukhanyo Am, Kriel is the only player to really encapsulate the demands of a Tonyball system. Often being shoehorned into the label of a ‘system player’.
Off the Springbok set piece, both midfielders are go-to men. Typically, a loose forward like Jasper Wiese, Elrigh Louw or Damian de Allende for hard yards driving up the front, in lineout attacks.
Meanwhile, Kriel in terms of set-piece attack is the premier strike runner of the southern hemisphere, with a change of pace, strong acceleration, and muscle-popping physicality.
This role has been captured by Tony Brown, as the 10s have been used to bring variation and style, the 12s and 15s used as counterweights and dovetails, and the wings are in endless try-scoring supply.
The 13 has a defined role in this new system and revolves around consistent excellence built on impactful involvements.
Here, Pollard plays an excellent flat cutout ball injecting pace and rhythm into the attack as Kriel darts onto the angle, arcing outside and nearly putting Kolbe away for a solid chance to perform a one-on-one with a covering defender.
Kriel’s strength is he does the basics-kicking, carrying, passing, and line-running to a brilliant degree. Nothing flashy or otherworldly, apart from the excellent execution done at 120%.
A natural connection with his old Bulls buddy Pollard aids his case here, as where he had abandoned the chance to straighten and have a direct break up front with the gap between a covering Josh van der Flier and the Irish backs, he failed to square up and transferred the pressure too early.
However, this is much compensating by Kriel’s strong run down the throats of the Irish and nearly creating a clean line break chance, which with Kolbe is often convertible to a try.
The 13 in the modern game is rarely a pivot, with the exception of Ireland.
On attack, he functions as the strike runner, the one to make a break and offload, his functions revolving around a burst of pace, defensive reads, and picking running lines.
For all the nonsensical RugbyPass hype about triple-threat players, Kriel does all three basics to a superb degree, such as this huge break here even in a normal flat line attacking the transition seams and making a massive break for the Springboks.
His superb athleticism and mastery of the basics are what make him a world-class operator in the 13 jersey.
A kick is only as good as its chase, and in the Springboks’ game plan this task is taken by the outside centre and the flanker, which means a big chaser and someone who can snaffle the loose balls on tap backs and pop-ups.
In the Leicester Tigers this function is missing, so 50-50 kicks that Pollard gets plaudits for with the Boks just become inconsequential aerial contests.
Kriel, as shown along with Kolisi secured strong ball in snaffles.
It’s this quasi flanker ability, much similar to the old ninth forward role that De Allende had, that gives them lots of turnover ball, with the crossfield bomb being one of the core midfield weapons that the Springboks use to reset the attacking rhythm and advance up the field, with potential chances for breakaways by Kolbe or Kurt-Lee Arendse.
Unlike Am, Kriel will not give you moments of magic off these transitions. But he will attack any gap you present him and win the ball back every single time.
He is often maligned by the press but is Mr Reliable for his team.
The running of hardlines by backs has been a key feature of this evolution in the Springbok game, trialled against a Six Nations-winning Irish side.
In one of their ‘red zone attacks’, they used the midfielder hardline thrice in a right-to-left sequence running primarily off nine.
This is a tactic primarily used with both of them on the field, playing with their strengths and hybrid skill sets.
Pollard’s first line is weak, mistimed with a static pack and a hesitant run.
On the second one, Kriel’s line is excellent, busting out a half break with a somewhat dummy line, running on the edge of a two-man pod to take an excellent snap pass from Faf de Klerk.
On the third, a good diagonal line by Kriel yielded a half-break for the outside centre.
Many of the tactics and tricks tried by Pollard and Kriel in the Summer Internationals flourished in the Argentina games, as the spinning grubber by Pollard turned into a full-on try assist in the Rugby Championship Final Showdown with the Pumas.
Meanwhile, Kriel’s addition of the hardline to his game has become a staple pass target for his nines.
This superb and unexpected line off Cobus Reinach sees him ghost through on what looks to be a dummy line with a two-man of Siya Kolisi and Eben Etzebeth – as well as Pollard all looking like possible threats for the Argie defense.
His ability to run a line advances simple blockers and diagonals into big game-changing chances.
In this set piece screen-based sequences, he often runs superb lines in the wider midfield to take out defenders while the ball gets to the 15-metre channel.
He fulfils all the roles to a world-class degree, which makes him the best for this role. The parallel flourishing of him and Pollard highlights an uncanny connection that underlines the combo of the two – as a midfield pair or a pivot-strike runner tandem.
While the depth charts may be stacked with a creative Am, and speedy Canan Moodie, Kriel maintains his edge as the world’s premier 13 through consistent excellence in execution.
Kriel is the new anchor of the Springbok backline, not because of his definitive X factor, and neither because he is a system player.
He is a superb strike runner and an excellent executioner, and that’s about it which is all that is required to run the Tonyball system.
With many moving parts at 10, 12 needs to strike a balance with dovetailing as a calming presence to integrate the talented new 10s, 15 being a tussle between the Fassi/Willemse style and the old Wille masonry; 13 seems to be the only position with a fixed, role regardless.
Excellent execution is the core of the game plan, to make it reliable and consistent, and the performance of the basics to 120% beats out X-factor every single time.
While others are considered elite for their vision, Kriel’s elite execution crushes the case for even the deftest magicians.
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