Hendricks welcomes White, Nkosi return to Bulls

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Cornal Hendricks says the Vodacom Bulls are delighted to have Jake White and Sbu Nkosi back for the north-south derby against the DHL Stormers in Pretoria on Saturday. DYLAN JACK reports.

The Bulls welcomed head coach White back after his recovery from an emergency surgery that saw him sidelined for four weeks.

JAKE’S OPEN LETTER: I’ve got another shot at life!

Returning with renewed vigor, White’s first priority will be to help the Bulls get one over their rivals when the derby returns to Loftus Versfeld for the first time since January 2022.

“Its very good to have coach Jake back. He brings a different energy,” Hendricks told the media on Monday. “Just the type of rugby brain that he has, the creativity, makes a big difference. When he is here, everything feels as it should be. All the plans that he has put to us when he was at home. I know he had to rest, but he doesn’t always do that.

“Its nice to have him back. He plays a big role in everything we do as a union. He’s always a step ahead for us, in terms of his planning. Its nice to have his energy around us and all the questions he asks. You know that when he’s present you have to be spot on on what you need to do.”

NKOSI: The beast is starting to growl again

It’s not only the director of rugby who has returned to Loftus Versfeld, but also star signing Sbu Nkosi after the Springbok wing spent time away from the game to work on his mental well-being.

Hendricks spoke passionately about the pressure that rugby players are under at the top level.

“It’s nice for us to have Sbu back. We know the talent that he has and what he can bring to the squad. It was sad for us as a team to see what Sbu went through, as a human being. He is Sbu the human being first. Sometimes you don’t understand the pressure that professional rugby comes with. Everyone says that we earn a lot of money. It’s not all about that. It’s also about mental health.

“I am so proud of Sbu getting help, coming to us and apologising to the team.

“He said that whenever somebody needs to speak up, he is there. He has a shoulder for anyone who wants to talk to him.

“It’s always good to have a teammate back. I am so glad that he is Sbu again. Sometimes we will need to take a step back and realise who we are as human beings. We welcomed him back with open arms because we know what he can do for us.”

Hendricks can empathise with Nkosi in many ways as he went through a difficult patch in his life when a heart condition brought his promising career to a halt.

The 34-year-old veteran said that he would like to hear Nkosi out on his struggles, once the winger has fully settled down in Pretoria again.

“I went through a bad patch in my life as well. I spent three years out of the game. It was tough for me. I didn’t see someone at the time and I thought I was fine. Sometimes those things caught up later in life. Now I realise you can talk to someone and make it lighter on yourself. You can be yourself again.

“I offered Sbu help as well. I want to have a coffee with him and hear his story. We all have a story to tell. He can be an inspiration for the next guy coming up. When things settle, I want to ask him about his battles and give him a shoulder as a brother and a player. I want to speak to him about what I went through as well.”

NKOSI: I’m raring to go again!

The Vodacom Bulls are still looking for their first win over the Stormers in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship, as the defending champions have won the last four derbies, including the grand final.

Hendricks denied that the Vodacom Bulls were feeling under any sort of psychological grip from their rivals, but feels that playing at home could give his side the boost they need to finally topple their opponents on Saturday.

“Its not a mental hold on us, but you can’t get away from the fact that the Stormers are a very good team. You have to give credit where it’s due and they have been the better team. We are working hard to give our best against them. The rivalry always makes it a good game. We are working hard to use the home crowd. Playing at Loftus is always special for us.”

Photo: Samuel Shivambu/BackpagePix

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