Bulls boosted by Kurt-Lee Arendse return as White dismisses favourites tag
The return of Kurt-Lee Arendse has given the Bulls a timely boost ahead of their title showdown with the Glasgow Warriors at a sold-out Loftus Versfeld on Saturday.
Bulls coach Jake White named Arendse in his starting XV on Friday.
The Springbok winger returned after surgery for a fractured cheekbone he sustained in the quarter-final against Benetton.
The return of Arendse is a big boost for the team after the loss of fullback Willie le Roux. Le Roux left the field in the semi-final against Leinster following a head and neck injury and, according to medical protocols, cannot be available for the Grand Final.
Devon Williams will run out at fullback in the only other change to the starting XV.
“Kurt-Lee’s doctor and specialist were impressed with the surgery and really happy with how he has recovered,” White said.
“It says a lot about Kurt-Lee’s commitment to the team and to have him back is fantastic, especially having lost somebody like Willie.”
It is a small yet significant tweak to a team poised to compete for one of the union’s biggest titles. For the third successive season, the team qualified for the Vodacom United Rugby Championship play-offs and played in its second final.
“The most important message from me to the players is, let’s just do what we did last week against Leinster. For me, that was outstanding. There is no secret remedy. It’s a Grand Final, and you’ve just got to do the things you’ve been doing well.
“It’s about what we can control, and we need to focus on ourselves and not spend too much time worrying about what the Glasgow Warriors will do. That will be enough for me because everyone will then understand that we’ve given it our best,” said White.
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White said it would be a special experience for his players to run out in front of the Loftus faithful.
“Unless you’ve been to Loftus Versfeld when it’s sold out, you have no idea what that’s like. There will be 53,000 fanatical Vodacom Bulls fans here. I’ve been here with Springbok games, where you have a mix of travelling supporters, but it’s completely different when you’ve got 53,000 Vodacom Bulls supporters. It’s an incredible experience as a player to run out in front of that.”
Despite the Loftus factor, White dispelled any talk of the Bulls being favourites.
“Favourites count for nothing. The one thing about the Vodacom United Rugby Championship, which has been fantastic since it started, is that there has been no guarantee that just because you have certain players or are ranked higher or are seen as the favourites that it’s a given you should win the game.”
