Lock Ruan Nortjé will leave the Bulls at the end of the season to take up a contract in Japan.
Bulls coach Johan Ackermann has told his players to accept the pressure that goes with a URC quarter-final, but not to be burdened by it.
Saturday’s clash at Loftus Versfeld against Munster carries considerable weight for the Bulls, who are chasing a fifth successive appearance in a URC semi-final. The Pretoria outfit have reached the quarter-final stage in every season since South African teams joined the competition.
They have also gone all the way to the final on three occasions without winning it, and the senior players need no reminding of their recent inability to land silverware. The Bulls were coached by Jake White when they lost those previous finals to the Stormers, Glasgow Warriors, and Leinster, and Ackermann is trusting that an approach that encourages his team to play their usual game — rather than be restricted by pressure — will carry them all the way through the play-offs.
“There’s that fine balance between adding pressure to an already big game with big consequences and still going out and enjoying your game,” Ackermann said.
