Vodacom Bulls captain Marcell Coetzee has endured his share of injury setbacks during a career that has included 31 Springbok caps, and he admits there was a stage when his playing days appeared to be numbered.
But having come through those difficulties, the veteran loose forward is determined to make the most of every season he has left.
“Around 2020, I had loads of injuries, especially with my knees, and at one point it didn’t look very good. These are my bonus years, and I’ll keep going until the wheels fall off!” Coetzee told the media at a season launch event on Thursday.
The Bulls skipper has not completely closed the door on a return to the Springboks, although he is realistic about his chances given his age and the depth available to coach Rassie Erasmus.
“One obviously still holds out hope for another chance in the green and gold, but for a guy in my position you’ve just got to take it day by day,” he added.
Coetzee’s longevity will be put to the test from the outset, with the Bulls beginning their URC campaign on the road against Zebre in Parma before travelling to Ireland to face Munster.
The Bulls are also entering the new season with an evolving approach under coach Johan Ackermann, who wants to retain the physical edge that has become synonymous with the Pretoria-based side while adding greater variety to their game. Ackermann says the Bulls have worked on new elements during pre-season.
“We have trained differently,” he explained. “We’ve trained some new stuff, and time will tell because pressure is a funny thing. I don’t think we’ll ever move away from the DNA of the Bulls with our [physicality]. But we said it last year: the way we want to play, we need to be fit, we need to improve our skill set.”
The Boks’ recent 3-1 series triumph over the All Blacks has provided Ackermann with an example of why teams need to strike the right balance between different aspects of the game.
“I think with the kicking game, the Boks have proved they still dominated the aerial game, and they came out winners even though the All Blacks scored more tries than them. So it’s a balance.”