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- Bulls director of rugby Jake White was effusive in his praise of Morne Steyn and S’busiso Nkosi despite their 23-19 loss against the Stormers on Saturday.
- Nkosi, who played in his first Bulls game since October, scored a try and was impressive in most facets against the old enemy.
- Steyn came on in the 56th minute for his 150th game for the Bulls in Super Rugby/United Rugby Championship and nearly changed the match for the hosts.
Bulls director of rugby Jake White had two positives to take out from their disappointing 23-19 defeat against the Stormers on Saturday: Morne Steyn and S’busiso Nkosi.
The evergreen Steyn, who featured in his 150th game for the Bulls in Super Rugby and the United Rugby Championship, came on for the increasingly anodyne Chris Smith in the 56th minute and nearly changed the game for the Bulls.
The Bulls were trailing 20-12 at the time after Junior Pokomela’s try.
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Steyn was the epitome of calm through his stay on the field and while he couldn’t quite get the hosts over the line, his performance mattered.
It wouldn’t come as a surprise if Steyn calls time on his glittering career at the end of the current campaign, but with Johan Goosen on the sidelines with a shoulder impingement, he still has a massive role to play.
“I had visions of Morne Steyn coming on,” White said.
Bulls pivot Morne Steyn.
News24 Gallo Images
“He showed what he’s worth to the Bulls and that would have been a nice way to end the game. It wasn’t meant to be.
“He kicked the ball the whole length of the field, so it’s wonderful to have someone of his calibre playing for us.”
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Nkosi, who played at left-wing and signaled his intentions early by running over opposition wing Suleiman Hartzenberg at the start of the game, scored later in the piece, with his converted try bringing the Bulls to within a point of the Stormers in what was a tense North/South derby.
White, who made clear that as a parent, he’s in no position to write off a struggling young adult, said Nkosi looked every bit like a Springbok.
“We take it for granted that he is a young guy who has been going through a difficult time. I thought he played quite well,” White said.
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“His work rate was good, and he ran quite hard. He didn’t look like he was out of rugby for three months.
“I’m really proud that he could play like that and I’m sure he can get better, especially now that he’s got the taste of it again.
“He almost broke every tackle when he carried the ball and he looked like a Springbok, which is what you want to see.”
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