Jesse Kriel says as satisfying as it is to finally bury their Dublin hoodoo, this Springbok team is always looking forward to the next challenge.
The Boks beat Ireland 24-13 on Saturday night – their first win at the Aviva Stadium since 2012 – with Kriel playing the full 80 minutes of a brutal Test.
“This was obviously a really big target for us going into this week,” the Bok centre said afterwards. We, as a group, haven’t won here before and I think it was something that we were all working towards. So very happy with the result. It’s obviously very special.
“I think the great thing about this team is that we don’t dwell on the past and the things that we’ve achieved. It’s always about the next training session. It’s about pitching up each day and giving your best and then getting the job done. So, I don’t think we’ll dwell on this for too long.”
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Kriel admitted it was “a weird game” with five yellow cards, including one upgraded to a 20-minute red card, being dished out.
“To our credit, I think we applied unbelievable pressure on the opposition, which forced cards and things like that,” he added. “There was a lot of stop-start and it’s obviously quite hard, but I think the guys adapted well and we got the result.
“It was an extremely tough Test match. The guys really dug deep and got stuck into their work and yeah, just really, really happy with the result.”
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Kriel also had special words for teammate Malcolm Marx who was crowned World Rugby Player of the Year.
“I think you can see the reaction when he won the award. He’s probably one of the most humble people I’ve ever played rugby with. He’s an extremely hard worker, very talented, very humble, and a great team man.
“He really deserves the award as he had an unbelievable year. And for the last eight years, he’s been incredible for this team. So really happy for him and glad that he got his flowers.”
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The Boks now shift focus to the final fixture of their tour against Wales at the Millennium Stadium on Saturday.
“We’ve got a Test match next week and I think that’s what makes this team special. It’s always about the next job, getting the job done. And yeah, we’ve got some big Test matches coming up over the next few years.”
Kriel said the Boks’ goal coming into the tour was five wins from five.
“It will obviously be a massive Test match. We’ve really had some tough games throughout this series and I think next week will be no different.”
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Photo: Charles McQuillan/Getty Images
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