Coetzee wary of Stormers threat despite Bulls’ good form

Bulls captain, Marcell Coetzee, says he is expecting a fierce challenge against the Stormers when the two sides meet at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday.

The Bulls have recovered from a difficult period earlier in the season to become the in-form South African team in the United Rugby Championship, while the Stormers have slipped from first on the log to fifth after three successive defeats.

However, Coetzee warned that the Stormers remain dangerous opponents, especially given their impressive URC record in Pretoria, where they have won three of their previous four encounters.

“If you look at history, they actually have a very good record here at Loftus,” Coetzee said. “There have been a couple of games where they’ve had our number, so we know it’s always a big challenge.

“It’s a massive clash and the guys are very excited for it. The Stormers have got danger all over the park – a lot of X-factor players who can create momentum and punish you if you’re not accurate.”

Coetzee also insisted that there was never a loss of faith in the coaching group under, Johan Ackermann, during that difficult spell earlier this season.

“It was always going to be a process. It takes time for players to adapt to new systems and structures. We also didn’t always have our full squad available because of Springbok duties and rest periods, and injuries,” he added.

Written by: Ntsako Mukhari