Talisman Ruan Nortje hailed by Bulls boss Jake White as most developed player

The Pretoria franchise romped to an impressive 48-7 victory over Stade Francais in front of the Loftus Faithful, booking their place in the Challenge Cup for next season.

Among the Bulls was Nortje, who has been a tireless worker in the coalface of the forward battle. Aside from being a respected leader at the franchise, his efforts around the park have earned him six Springbok caps. At just 26, there is much more to come from the lock.

"He is growing the most and he a player that has developed the most in the time that I've been here," White told the press.

"At times when I was picking him as captain, I remember sitting at this table and guys would be looking at me like I was crazy.

"He has come through and he hasn't played Craven Week, he didn't even come through the junior ranks.

"All of a sudden when you guys see first-hand his worth on the field, the difference between him being there and what we've done over the last couple of weeks is immeasurable.

"I didn't want him to play 80 minutes the first game, so I had to box a bit clever there.

"He has shown that by playing international rugby, he can get better and better. That's all you want. You want players in the team to go and play internationally and then come back and bring that worth back to the club.

"I am over the moon that he hasn't re-injured himself. I'm over the moon that the stuff that he has learnt at international rugby is definitely rubbing off on the other players."

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