JF van Heerden said the support system at the Vodacom Bulls made his promotion to the URC/Invested Champions Cup a lot easier than having to face the praise and criticism by himself.
"Calling line-outs at SA U20 is much different than at the Vodacom Bulls. It is good learning for me as a player and everybody has been extremely helpful. Ruan Nortje helps me a lot, so if you have teammates like that, with the experience that he has, it makes it a bit easier for me. Coach Andries also helps me a lot, taking a lot of pressure off me."
Van Heerden was philosophical about the mistakes he made at the top level.
"I think anybody who plays rugby knows that you are going to make mistakes in a game, it happens. I think that is definitely something that comes with experience, but like I said having teammates with a lot of experience helps a lot. They keep you calm, giving you the assurance that we're actually on track and doing well.
On his rapid promotion to the top van Heerden said: I'm very honoured, it's a massive privilege for me to be able to be part of this team, at times you feel maybe you have a lot of pressure on you, but I mean it's a good learning experience. It is a massive privilege to be in a system like the Bulls and get the opportunity to actually play and start a few matches.
Van Heerden credited coach Andries Bekker for playing a major role in his development as a player.
"I would definitely say Coach Andries has a big influence on my game. He likes being honest and that's a trait that I appreciate. However there are so many guys in this team who have a lot of experience, I am learning every day, not necessarily always from one specific guy. I think with the group that we have, you can learn something from almost anybody."
