The Emirates Lions gave their Springbok flanker Jaco Kriel a fitting sendoff against Zebre Parma on Saturday, winning 50-35.
After an illustrious 15-year career, the Springbok flanker ended it on a high, scoring a try from a rolling maul to cap off a fine career. Kriel stayed on the field for the entire 80 minutes which was a testament to his teammates and the coaching team for letting him finish up on his terms in an age where players rarely achieve this feat.
It was difficult to hold back the tears says Lions legend Jaco Kriel after his final match for the franchise.
“It felt unreal as we drove to Loftus Versfeld,” Kriel said.
“I was in tears because I realised that it is my last team meeting, last bus trip and last everything.
“But, I knew I had to get those emotions out of the way and under control. The 80 minutes that lay ahead was about simply going through the processes.”
“The first 40 minutes went by so quickly. As we walked out at halftime, Andries Coetzee told me ‘You got 40 left, give it your all, go for it.’”
“It was really special.”