Kriel to lead Boks against Barbarians in late change after Kolisi cries off injured

Jesse Kriel will lead the Springboks for the first time after Siya Kolisi was withdrawn from the team to face the Barbarians at DHL Stadium in Cape Town due to an unspecified “niggle”.

It’s a late blow for the Boks, but probably something the squad had factored in during their preparations.

Coach Rassie Erasmus spoke at some length earlier in the week about growing the leadership pool in 2025, specifically noting that Kolisi would not play every game this season.

It’s a significant moment for Kriel, who has been one of the Boks’ brilliantly consistent performers for five years. Unfortunately, because the match does not carry Test status, he will not officially be recognised as the Boks’ 67th Test captain.

But if Kolisi’s injury is more serious than expected, Kriel could officially become Bok captain No 67 against Italy at Loftus Versfeld next weekend. That would be fitting because it was in the colours of the Bulls where Kriel initially made his name.

Kriel was named as the vice-captain for the match with regular vice-skipper Damien de Allende relieved of duty because he is unlikely to play much more than 40 minutes.

‘We’re thinking of saving Damian [de Allende] a bit and get André Esterhuizen on, so hopefully, Jesse goes through and can fill in when Siya goes off,” Erasmus said earlier this week before Kolisi cried off.

Read more: Rassie selects four new faces and some seasoned veterans for Boks against Barbarians

Future leadership

Kolisi’s misfortune sees a recall for Marco van Staden, who goes straight into the starting lineup. That in itself is a significant detail because it’s clear that Erasmus did not want to meddle with the bench.

There is always a clear plan with the Bok bench, and even though they have gone with a traditional 5-3 split between back and forwards this week, looseforward reserve Kwagga Smith wasn’t elevated and Van Staden brought onto the bench.

There is a specific plan for Smith in this game, one which he must execute from as a replacement.

In terms of leadership, this setback is a reminder that Kolisi, and others for that matter, cannot go on forever.

Many of the Bok team who have been part of the set-up for the past seven years are well into their 30s now. Erasmus will not only have to find answers to player personnel, but leadership as well.

Read more: Watershed 2025 season looms for ageing Springbok stars as Rassie eyes the future

In the short to medium-term, though, he is well covered.

“If you think about it Pieter-Steph [Du Toit] has been captain, Bongi [Mbonambi], Eben [Etzebeth] and Salmaan [Moerat] too, while De Allende has been vice-captain a lot of times.

“I guess when the time is right, we will definitely try and appoint a new captain. Siya definitely won’t play all the matches this year.”

Erasmus recognised that all those players he listed, barring Moerat, are the wrong side of 30 and that he will have to give opportunities to youngsters at some stage.

An obvious candidate for the captaincy is prodigiously talented flyhalf Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu.

The playmaker is a natural leader who relishes the limelight and commands attention. If the Boks were a rock band, Feinberg-Mngomezulu would be the natural front man. But there is a sense that Erasmus still needs convincing.

The coach clearly rates Feinberg-Mngomezulu as a player, playmaker and supreme talent. But there are probably some edges to his game and his persona that need to be smoothed to gain Erasmus’ endorsement for the captaincy.

“I think it’s time to give some of the young bloods, in certain Test matches, the feeling of captaining the squad,” Erasmus said.

“Let’s first see how the first game goes before we get to that.” DM 

Springboks: 

15 Aphelele Fassi, 14 Cheslin Kolbe, 13 Jesse Kriel (capt), 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 9 Morné van den Berg, 8 Jean-Luc du Preez, 7 Vincent Tshituka, 6 Marco van Staden, 5 Lood de Jager, 4 Jean Kleyn, 3 Asenathi Ntlabakanye, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Ox Nche.

Reserves: 16 Marnus van der Merwe, 17 Jan-Hendrik Wessels, 18 Neethling Fouché , 19 Franco Mostert, 20 Kwagga Smith, 21 Cobus Reinach, 22 Manie Libbok, 23 André Esterhuizen.

Barbarians

15 Melvyn Jaminet, 14 Mark Tele’a, 13 Leicester Fainga’anuku, 12 Peter Umaga-Jensen, 11 Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens, 10 Josh Jacomb, 9 Tawera Kerr-Barlow, 8 Shannon Frizell, 7 Sam Cane, 6 Peter O’Mahony (capt), 5 David Ribbans, 4 Ruben van Heerden, 3 Paul Alo-Emile, 2 Camille Chat, 1 Cian Healy

Reserves: 16 Ricky Riccitelli, 17 Hassane Kolingar, 18 Will Collier, 19 Josh Beehre, 20 Hoskins Sotutu, 21 Santiago Arata, 22 Joe Marchant, 23 Lachlan Boshier

Date: Saturday, 28 June

Kick-off: 5:10pm

Referee: AJ Jacobs

Assistant referees: Christopher Allison and Stephan Geldenhuys

TMO: Egon Seconds