Bulls lock Ruan Nortje will be moving to Japan at the end of the United Rugby Championship campaign.
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Bulls captain Marcell Coetzee said he was a happy and relieved man after his team crushed Munster 45-14 at Loftus Versfeld to advance to the United Rugby Championship quarter-finals.
The Irishmen have a reputation for winning big matches on the road, but they were shut out by a strong Bulls start, followed by some brilliant finishing to ensure it is the men from Pretoria who will play the Warriors in the June 6 semi-final in Glasgow. The Bulls were well supported by a vociferous crowd of 18,000 who made the effort to get to the ground for the strangely early kick-off time of 1 pm.
“We are super grateful to be through to the semi-finals, and a big thank you to the supporters who came out and gave us energy. We appreciate it,” Coetzee said. “We were clinical today, starting with the wings — Kurt-Lee Arendse and Stravino Jacobs — who won early scraps in the air to get us going. The forwards were very good in getting to the breakdown quickly, which gave us the platform to attack that we wanted.”
Coetzee said that the emphatic win was thanks to a major effort from all involved at Loftus Versfeld.
“A big win like this one is not just down to the 23 who played; it is the work behind the scenes that sets you up for a big performance,” he added. “Also, we wanted to make it special for the players who are leaving and probably played their last game at this ground — Ruan Nortje, what a warrior. He has served this team with distinction, Kurt-Lee [Arendse] as well. We wish them well in the future.”
Both players are taking up careers in Japan next season.
Coetzee said they would enjoy the win on Saturday night before rolling up their sleeves for the semi-final.
“On Monday, the celebrations will be over, and we will reassess where we are. It will be a challenge going away, but this season we found our mojo with the travel — it pulls the group tighter. Glasgow is no easy task, but we will do our homework.”