The Bulls are currently based in Europe, where they are preparing for their match against Connacht on Friday. Speaking out of Galway, lock Reinhardt Ludwig says that bouncing back from last week’s performance has now become the top priority.
The 23-year-old will have his first start of this season after coming off the bench to replace Nicolaas Janse van Rensburg, who started ahead of him in last week’s defeat to Ulster.
This time, Ludwig’s responsibilities will include more than just jumping in the line-out. He was also selected to captain the team on the day.
Bounce back with a response
In conversation with Rugby365, the towering 1.99m lock shared what the opportunity of leading a bruised team meant to him. He defined the pressure that comes with it as being personal, adding that his main objective is to ensure that history will not be repeated.
“I don’t want to disappoint anyone. But it is not about me, I just want to do what is expected of me,” he said.
To calm his nerves, the Bulls lock will be taking a page from Siya Kolisi’s book by relying on the experience of his teammates. The Bok captain performed a similar strategy by relying on leaders in the team to help maintain composure during the 2019 World Cup.
“I am not alone; there is a large leadership group, comprising many experienced players. My role is just to talk to the referee. There are enough leaders and experienced players to manage the game,” Ludwig adds.
Bulls are transitioning
After their defeat, head coach Johann Ackerman suffered heavy criticism for how his team managed the game. Speaking on this, Ludwig shared that the team is still in a transitioning phase. He promised that with the season still being in its early stages, there would be improvement.
He added:
“The fastest time to grow is through the tough times. Especially because we need a reaction after last weekend. But we definitely want to improve and bounce back from last week.”
