Springbok centre Jesse Kriel hails Siya Kolisi for selfless captaincy gesture

Kriel was originally announced internally as captain because Kolisi was still coming back from injury. But the luckless Jean-Luc du Preez tweaked his knee in training this week, opening the door for Kolisi to return to the starting XV once he proved his fitness.

He did, but that put Bok management in an awkward place, with their double World Cup-winning skipper on the park but not captaining the team. Kolisi honoured their decision, leaving Kriel with the armband.

"It speaks volumes about what a leader and team man Siya is," said the Maritzburg College old boy.

"We all know he is the team captain, but as I've said before, this group is filled with leaders in each position, so although this is a massive privilege and I'm really proud, we remain a team."

Kriel went on to describe the Eden Park blockbuster as the "ultimate Test".

"I always want to play my best, and as a team, we want to test ourselves against the best, so this is the ultimate Test match.

"It's also a vital game for us in the Rugby Championship, so it doesn't get bigger than this in terms of playing the number one team in the world in New Zealand. The All Blacks are a tough team to face regardless of whether they come off a win or a loss. The rivalry between the teams is unmatched, and we are extremely motivated to perform well in this encounter."

Assistant coach Mzwandile Stick is looking for an improved performance following the Boks' gritty 30-22 win over the Wallabies in Cape Town a fortnight ago.

"This is about playing for the Springbok jersey, and we cannot ask for a better occasion than this," he said.

"The key for us is to represent our country with pride and dignity and to make our people proud. The focus for us will be on trying to improve from where we left off against Australia. This is a massive game for us, and we want to play the best we can and test ourselves against the best side in the world."

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