Stormers vs Bull: 6 words warning to Stormers ahead of clash
Harold Vorster is not a man of many words – clearly, he is someone who prefers to do his talking on the pitch.
And that was again the way in which he fended off questions from the media – like he would opposing centres – when asked about the Bulls’ massive United Rugby Championship showdown with the Stormers in Cape Town on Saturday (2pm kick-off).
The 31-year-old No 12 was part of the Lions squad that reached three consecutive Super Rugby finals, before a three-year stint in Japan with the Panasonic Wild Knights. But having decided to return to South Africa in 2021, Pretoria is his new home – a five-hour drive from his home town of Phalaborwa in Limpopo.
And he has felt at home in the Bulls midfield, with his experience and hard carries up the middle creating the space for the finishers out wide.
Vorster was at it again in the recent 35-22 URC victory over the Lions at Ellis Park, putting in a fitting performance on his 50th appearance for the Bulls against his former team. It was a vital triumph for the Pretoria side as they continued their resurgence following a four-match losing streak.
“It was special. I’ve got special memories at the Lions, and (now) building special memories at the Bulls. So ja, it was a special day,” Vorster said on Tuesday.
“I feel that as soon as the outside centre and wings talk to you and want the ball, then I will always try to put the ball in space for them. I definitely think there is a bit of momentum that we’ve built up to write off those few defeats.
“A win helps to do it as soon as soon possible, so we’ve had good momentum in the last few games, and we are looking forward to this weekend.”
Vorster appears to be equally comfortable linking up with either Stedman Gans or David Kriel at outside centre, although the latter has started most of the games at No 12 over the last few seasons.
But perhaps in the red-hot cauldron of a Stormers duel this weekend, Vorster’s physicality might be handy once again, where he could feed off Springbok veteran Willie le Roux at flyhalf once more.
