Winger Sebastian de Klerk is relishing the opportunity to make his Champions Cup debut, as the Vodacom Bulls and Saracens gear up to lock horns in Pretoria on Saturday.
It’s a second assault on European club rugby for Jake White’s charges, who kick things off against the English Premiership champions at Loftus Versfeld. It doesn’t get any easier in the competition for the Bulls, as their subsequent fixtures will take them to Lyon and Bristol, in France and England, respectively, before returning to Loftus to host Bordeaux-Bègles.
De Klerk, who can also play outside centre, has scored two tries from six starts in the Vodacom URC this season, and the 23-year-old is excited to continue his development against some of the world’s best clubs following his move from the Pumas.
MORE: Injured Bulls skipper eyes derby return
Speaking in a Bulls conference on Tuesday, he told reporters: “I’ve enjoyed the transition, the game is faster playing against internationals every weekend, you really get a chance to compare yourself against the best.
“It helps lift your game automatically and gives you a lot of time to reflect on things you thought you were good enough at, but now see you’re not on par yet.
“My decision making is a lot faster [since playing URC]. There’s also a lot more kicking … contestables, high balls and chasing … that’s a lot more relevant in European competition.”
De Klerk added: “Saracens have plenty of international players and are world class, it’s going to be an absolute fight. We’re going to have to work for every point. We stand a good chance to win, but it’s going to be a challenge against the best out there.”
The 2022 Currie Cup winner acknowledged the significant improvements in his game playing alongside Springboks like Canan Moodie and Kurt-Lee Arendse, as well as having double World Cup winner Willie le Roux as a mentor.
De Klerk said: “It’s wonderful having so many Springboks, and not just the current guys but guys who have played for the Springboks in the past. But, especially the World Cup winners coming back.
“Willie, Canan and Kurt-Lee, you learn a lot from them. It’s nice getting an insight into how they did things at the Boks. It’s lekker to see how they conduct themselves, on and off the field.
“Just [Le Roux’s] experience and the way he looks at the game, he’s a very smart rugby player. He gives you so much info on the field. I remember that first week training with him – it felt like I trained with him 100 times just because of how good and clear he communicates.
“You can imagine playing almost 100 Tests, the situations he’s been in so many times, he knows what is going to happen if he does this and if I do that. He contributes to a lot of the small things which I think someone who isn’t as experienced might miss.
“He’s seen all the scenarios and he knows how to prep you as an individual, and helps the coaches as well. He just made our team a lot stronger.”
Photo: Luca Sighinolfi/INPHO/Shutterstock