'I know what I am capable of': Bulls captain talks about criticism
SPOTLIGHT: Bulls captain Ruan Nortje says he is not reading too much into the criticism directed at him and his team after a poor run of results.
Before last weekend’s 29-14 win over the Dragons at Rodney Parade, the Bulls lost three games in a row. Two of those defeats were derby matches against the Stormers and the Sharks.
Nortje, who became captain at the end of November when Marcell Coetzee left for a stint in Japan, explained how he protects himself from outside noise.
“The biggest thing for me is that I don’t read any articles about me,” Nortje told reporters on Tuesday ahead of his team’s Champions Cup clash against Exeter Chiefs in Pretoria on Saturday.
“I don’t have Facebook. I don’t really read into that stuff and I think that is the best thing for me personally.
“I know myself much better than anybody us, so I know what I am capable of and I know my teammates believe in me and that is the most important thing.
“It’s all learning. I am obviously still getting used to the captaincy role, but it is something that excites me very much.
“It’s just about me constantly learning and growing every weekend.
“Sometimes it doesn’t go your way or you get a bit of criticism. It is always going to be part of rugby, so you shouldn’t read too much into that stuff.”
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Coaching disruption
Adding to that pressure is the absence of Director of Rugby Jake White.
White was ill during his team’s stay in Wales leading up to that match against the Dragons.
After the squad returned to South Africa on Sunday, the Bulls boss complained of debilitating stomach cramps and was rushed to a nearby hospital for medical attention, necessitating an emergency operation.
He expected to make a full recovery, but he is only set to return to his duties in early February.
Assistant coaches Russell Winter and Chris Rossouw are sharing the main coaching duties and Nortje is confident things won’t fall apart while White is away.
“We all understand the system and what coach Jake implemented,” said the Bulls captain.
“It was really easy for us to adapt.
“It’s not nice when your coach is not there.
“At the end of the day, his health is the most important thing and we wish him a speedy recovery.
“It [White’s illness] put extra pressure on us but I am very proud of the guys with the character that was showed [against the Dragons].”
On the upcoming match against Exeter, Nortje knows that his team will have to be alert in every department on the field.
“They are the 2020 champions of the Premiership and the Champions Cup, so we know what is coming,” said Nortje.
“It’s a world-class team. They want to outwork you, they want to build phase after phase and they want to take you on up front.
“They want to kill you in all facets of the game.
“For us, it is just about focussing on what we do best and keeping our penalties as low as possible.
“I think it is going to be a massive physical battle. We will have to make a step up in all departments.”
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