Jake White surprise by David Kriel’s omission from the 2024-25 URC Team of the Season

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Vodacom Bulls coach Jake White says he was surprised by David Kriel’s omission from the 2024-25 URC Team of the Season.

Seven South Africans made the Elite XV selected by the media, including three Bulls – props Jan-Hendrik Wessels and Wilco Louw, and No 8 Cameron Hanekom.

However, Kriel – who has started all 18 of the Bulls’ URC matches this season, mostly at 13, with 1,362 minutes of game time – missed out to Munster’s Tom Farrell.

“I am surprised by how people don’t realise how important he is [to the Bulls],” White told the Irish media on Tuesday ahead of the URC final against Leinster at Croke Park on Saturday.

“He was a fullback as a youngster, he’s played wing, he’s played 12 and 13, he’s kicked winning penalty goals for us against Leinster and Benetton this season. He’s been with us from day one [under White] and I’m almost sure he’s played the most minutes for us in the past four years

So it is incredible that he hasn’t been tapped on the shoulder, either for national duty [with the Springboks], which I’m sure will come, or his importance recognised by other people.”

White revealed that he had decided to move Kriel to the midfield during the warm-up of the Bulls’ first-ever URC match, against Leinster at the Aviva Stadium in September 2021.

“I remember watching [Robbie] Henshaw, [Ciaran] Frawley and [Garry] Ringrose and I thought to myself that the only player we have who is similar to them in terms of body shape and skill set is David Kriel. And at that stage he was playing wing.

“It was then that I decided to move him closer to the ball and I’m so glad I did, because you’ve seen his value over the past four years.”

When asked what made Kriel so special, White added: “He is quick enough to be an outside back, which makes him dangerous inside. He’s got incredible passing skills and he understands defence.

“He’s a bit like [former Springbok centre] Jean de Villiers to me in that he understands how [the opposition] wants to attack and can therefore read the defence. People assume defence means tackling. David tackles well but he also has that defensive understanding. He knows the way [the opposition] stand and who the danger men are in the setup and he will read the play before they can enact it.”