Spice added to Boks’ Wembley duel with Japan, says Jesse Kriel

Extra spice has been added to the Springboks’ rugby showdown against Japan at Wembley Stadium because of the inside knowledge players on both sides have about one another’s skills and tactical traits, says Jesse Kriel.

With several of the Boks plying their trade in the lucrative Japanese professional league, a feisty duel is expected as players attempt to stamp their authority over club rivals on Saturday (6.10pm, SA time).

The clash is likely to provide a feast of running rugby because of the slick playing surface expected at the 90,000-capacity home of English soccer.

South Africa’s other Tests are against:

• France at Stade de France in Paris (November 8);
• Italy at the Allianz Stadium in Turin (November 15);
• Ireland at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin (November 22); and
• Wales at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff (November 29).

“This game is everything for us to get our end-of-the-year campaign off to a good start, and we won’t look further than this game. So it’s important to get a good result,” Kriel said.

“It’s exciting, especially to play against a lot of familiar faces. I’ve been in Japan for close to seven years now and it will be good to play with some teammates and guys I’ve played against in the Springbok jersey at the highest level.

“That some of the players know one another will definitely add a different dynamic to the game because the guys know each other’s tendencies and how they play, so tactically we need to be at our best and stop the threats they bring to the game.

“The last time I played at Wembley was in 2016 against the Barbarians, and we were also there on Saturday watching rugby league. It’s a fantastic stadium with a great atmosphere, so it will be exciting to play at a different stadium.”

Scrumhalf Grant Williams, who is starting from the bench, said he was excited about the prospect of facing the Brave Blossoms.

“It’s always an honour to be selected for the Springboks, and I’m really looking forward to playing against Japan,” he said.

“They play a very fast game and Wembley Stadium has a fast pitch, so I’m very excited about the challenge. They also have good and fast scrumhalves, so it will be a challenging day on the park for us if we don’t slow down their ball.

“Any team in the world will want to challenge us, and we know Japan have been playing really well. We’ve looked at their past results and the way they play, so they will be psyched up and ready for the battle on Saturday.”

Bok coach Rassie Erasmus said he was expecting a tough encounter.

“They are a quality team, and they have a top coach in Eddie Jones, so we have no doubt they’ll throw everything at us,” he said.

“They beat us in 2015, and they showed what a quality outfit they are in the first half of our 2019 Rugby World Cup quarterfinal against them, so we are expecting them to come out guns blazing.

“They also lost by only four points against Australia last weekend, which is a testament to the improvement they have been making, so we need to be sharp on attack and defence if we want to get the result.

“Very little separates the top teams in the world, and if you are not on your game both mentally and physically on the day, anything can happen. So, we will treat them with the utmost respect, and we also know how important this match will be to set the tone for the rest of our tour.”

The Herald