Nollis Marais: I was the right man

Marais, speaking in the wake of confirmation of the appointment of former All Black coach John Mitchell as the new Executive of Rugby at Loftus Versfeld, said he will work hard to bounce back from the disappointment of being 'moved on'.

Marais, who will coach the Bulls for the rest of the Super Rugby season before Mitchell takes over in July, will remain on as Blue Bulls Currie Cup coach.

"I never wanted to be in this position," he said about being moved on, after a horror run the past two seasons – which saw the Bulls finish ninth last year (with nine wins in 15 outings) and dropping even further this year, sitting at a lowly 16th position with just three wins in 12 games.

Marais is adamant he can bounce back and said he will look to prove his worth by winning the Currie Cup with the Blue Bulls.

"The Currie Cup [competition] is ahead of me and I have to prepare for that," he said, adding: "I now have to put the right processes in place to win the Currie Cup.

"This was not the outcome we set out for ourselves and it is not nice.

"I always said, if the board felt it is time to move on, I will go. I appreciate that they regard me high enough to retain me [to coach the Currie Cup team]."

He admitted it is "not enjoyable" to have failed and be moved on as a result, but said he has learnt from the experience and will be a better man for it.

"I know how to handle it, but the pressure [to succeed] remains.

"I know what I won't do next time, if I am a head coach again in Super Rugby. I have learnt a lot about off-the-field management and player management.

"I am going to work hard for the next two to three years and hopefully [I get another chance].

"I still believe I was the right man got the job.

"I made mistakes and I can only get better."

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