No looking back for Tah's Bull

 

The Bulls came knocking on Potgieter's door towards the end of the regular Super Rugby season after realising what a huge mistake it was to release the wrecking ball forward after two seasons.

 

However, the three-time capped Springbok can recall the exact moment when he realised he did not want to return to Pretoria.

 

"I was sitting in the change room before the game [against the Highlanders], sitting next to Michael [Cheika] and listening to what he was saying," Potgieter told the Sydney Morning Herald.

 

"He spoke about something off the field, it had nothing to do with rugby, and I thought 'I would be stupid to go away from this'." 

 

It was on Sunday, July 6 in their preparation for the Highlanders game that the versatile forward realised how good his time in Sydney had been.

 

"Standing under those poles, grabbing each other [after warming up for the match] and looking at each other, you know you're going to go out there and those people are going to put their bodies on the line for you because you're going to do that for them," he went on. 

 

"I just thought again, it would be really dumb for me to go away from something like that."

 

Potgieter has been welcomed as a favourite son in Australia and in South Africa, his skill-set growth and all-round improvement has not gone unnoticed.

 

Potgieter puts a lot of his development to controversial coach Michael Cheika.

 

"He [Cheika] makes you believe in anything," Potgieter said of the complex character who has inspired rare devotion in his squad.

 

"If someone talks to you and says 'run through that wall' you're going to say no, but the way Michael comes to you and talks to you, you'll run through that wall. You don't even think twice."

 

In their first few conversations last year, Cheika urged Potgieter to do his homework, so he phoned three guys who had all played under Cheika in Europe including Sarel Pretorius – he liked what he heard.

 

So it is hard to say who was more shocked – crowd or player – when Potgieter's hard, wild style first drew a standing ovation at ANZ Stadium five months ago.

 

"I remember that moment so clearly when I walked off the field," he said of the 32-5 thumping of the Reds.

 

"At the Bulls people cheered for you, but my second game I played here at ANZ Stadium, I walked off the field and everyone went crazy.

 

"My heart started beating faster, I thought 'how good is this'. 

 

"I was sitting on the bench and I was half out of breath. Not because of the game but because of the crowd. 

 

"I gave it about five or 10 minutes and looked around at the people and thought this is amazing to be here. I made the right decision to come here." 

 

Potgieter has been bullish all year about the Waratahs' chances, predicting last month they would be "unstoppable" when all the elements of their game clicked at some point.

 

"I think the key to winning this week is the team that goes out there and enjoys themselves, the team that goes out there and just plays," he said.

 

"[In] finals rugby, if you're going to go out there and take everything too seriously, it might count against you.

 

"That's what I think. If you're going to go out there, enjoy, play and take risks, we'll win."