By Brenden Nel
If there is one thing that forms an integral part of the Vodacom Bulls’ success this season, it is their belief in their young players.
While much has been made of the experience in the squad, and especially the exceptional leadership qualities of players like Marcell Coetzee, Arno Botha, Cornal Hendricks and Harold Vorster, the big difference for the Bulls this year has been the belief they have put in the youngsters in the squad, and their ability to step up when it mattered.
When their superstar fullback Kurt-Lee Arendse went down, coach Jake White put the faith in a talented 19-year old Canan Moodie, a player who has exploded out of the blocks this season and will represent the Junior Boks this year.
Moodie, despite being a wing, slotted seamlessly into the fullback role, and has been one of the finds of the season for the Bulls.
But go through the season, and even though the Bulls have mixed and matched their line-up throughout the league stages, the amount of game time they have given young players has been a hallmark of their selection process.
And every time they have done this, they have backed them with experience around them.
Moodie, for instance, first had Arendse and Madosh Tambwe with him to support him, and later on David Kriel – still young despite having two Currie Cup titles behind his name and only 23.
And it hasn’t been just Moodie that has been backed, but the young brigade at the Bulls has come through for the side when it mattered.
Janko Swanepoel, one of the top young lock talents to come through the system, won two exceptionally stressful lineouts on his own tryline with Leinster seething for rewards in Dublin on Friday night.
That sort of bravery – most sides would have chosen to try and defend the lineout maul instead – comes from confidence, and it is the confidence that White has instilled into the youngsters that has played a vital role.
Similarly young talents like Jan-Hendrik Wessels – backed ahead of Bismarck du Plessis on the bench against the Sharks, and others like WJ Steenkamp and Raynard Roets and Rynhardt Ludwig have all played their part at one or other time in the season.
Then there have been Varsity Cup stars like Sibongile Novuka and Robert Hunt, both who have been introduced to the Bulls line-up at various stages in the season and in Hunt’s situation, even though he had a horrible start to his Bulls career, he was backed on the bench this past weekend against Leinster and came through unscathed.
It is easy to name the likes of Elrigh Louw and Simphiwe Mazibuko, or young Keagan Johannes and the impressive style of Johan Grobbelaar – all of whom are still under 25. Ruan Nortje, who played his way into the Springbok squad, is 24.
And all the while the Bulls have contracted cleverly around them, bringing in veterans such as Vorster, Lionel Mapoe, Cyle Brink and others.
There are always limits to the youthful exuberance in professional rugby as the Bulls Currie Cup squad found out in Bloemfontein on Saturday night, and may well eventually cost them the chance of a third Currie Cup title as they concentrate on the Vodacom United Rugby Championship showdown this weekend in Cape Town.
But it is clear their youth policy has paid off, and will continue to pay off as they head into Europe.
Developing young talent always trumps buying talent from abroad in the long run and a wily old coach like White knows this.
His ability to back the youngsters to do a job has paid off more than he would have hoped. It has exposed the youngsters to top flight rugby and given the Bulls a basis to build on.
And while they are by no means the finished product, their appearance in the final will underline that it has worked for White, and if it continues will produce more household names that will knock on the Springbok door.
For that, White and his Bulls management deserve credit.