VIDEO: A familiar face could give the Bulls a few problems
SPOTLIGHT: The Bulls are set to come up against a familiar face in their Champions Cup Round One clash against Saracens in London on Saturday.
Springbok scrumhalf Ivan van Zyl has been in fine form for the Premiership giants since he made the move to Sarries from the Bulls in 2021.
He won the Saracens Players’ Player of the Year award last year and he has established himself as one of the core leaders in the team.
Bulls loose forward Marco van Staden knows the damage Van Zyl can cause when is running the show.
The story continues below…
“I know Ivan very well from playing at the Bulls,” said Van Staden.
“We played a few seasons there together and then he came over [to join Saracens] the same time I came over to [Leicester] Tigers.
“Tactically, Ivan is playing very well and he distributes the ball very well.
“He is their captain [when Maro Itoje is unavailable] if I am not mistaken so he is definitely a strong point in their team.
“We are also looking forward to playing against him and after the game, we will probably have a few beers again.”
The story continues below…
Van Staden is also expecting a fierce battle in his own department.
“They [Saracens’ loose forwards] are also very quick at the breakdowns and all of them are good ball carriers,” Van Staden told @rugby365com.
“It’s almost like having two more backline players, so we have to prepare well for them.”
@rugby65com
Investec Champions Cup
Watch the highly acclaimed five-part documentary Chasing the Sun 2, chronicling the journey of the Springboks as they strive to successfully defend the Rugby World Cup, free on RugbyPass TV (*unavailable in Africa)
