Bulls captain Ruan Nortjé said the new backline coach is helping them use their outside backs to best effect.
Bulls captain Ruan Nortjé said Neil de Bruin is just a week and a half into his role as backline coach but has already made a “big impact”, helping the team begin to maximise the potential of their strong backline.
De Bruin replaced Chris Rossouw, while forwards coach Andries Bekker was not replaced after his dismissal. Instead, head coach Johan Ackermann, in his first year in charge of the Bulls, said he would largely take over the forwards coaching from Bekker himself.
De Bruin, a former scrumhalf and flyhalf before injury ended his career at 26, reached two Varsity Cup finals at his first coaching gig at Potchefstroom University before joining the Lions and working with his father, Swys, and Ackermann.
Ackermann and De Bruin found synergy, and the three-time SA coach of the year brough De Bruin to Japan to coach with him from 2020-2024.
De Bruin then returned to South Africa to lead Paarl Boys High as director of rugby, where they finished the top-ranked rugby school in 2025.
De Bruin lights up training
“This is the challenge I want. My philosophy is simple: you’ve got to have fun, focus on the positives, coach with intensity. Clarity leads to consistency,” he said after joining the Bulls, who are now on a six-game losing streak and lie 11th on the URC table with three wins from eight matches.
They are fifth in their Champions Cup pool after two defeats, with their third match coming against Bristol Bears at Loftus on Saturday.
“I think we are slow but surely building into a system with him,” Nortjé said of the backline coach.
“It’s not going to happen overnight but we are very excited for the next block of games, to make sure we get our attacking game up to standard and use the quality outside backs that we have.
“Because we really have outside backs who are dangerous and can put teams under a lot of pressure. It’s an exciting month ahead for us. It’s about going out and executing what we trained on.”
Nortjé said the Bulls would have to manage their work rate against a formidable and expansive-playing Bristol, who are themselves on a six-match winning run.
“It’s going to be about not killing ourselves, not running ourselves off the park. At altitude, we will have to make sure we take care of our own forward pack, put them under pressure and get them tired.”
