VIDEO: Why Willie le Roux was replaced 

02/17/2025 04:10 AM

REACTION: Bulls Director of Rugby Jake White explained why he replaced flyhalf Willie le Roux with Boeta Chamberlain fairly early in the second half in his side's 19-29 United Rugby Championship loss to the Sharks.

[rp-mc-game id="204|942309|2025"][/rp-mc-game]

The Bok veteran came on as the replacement flyhalf against the Lions last month and turned the match on its head with an eye-catching performance in what was up until that point a tightly contested clash.

He got the nod for the No.10 jersey last week against the Stormers - steering the Bulls to a rare win in Cape Town over their arch-rivals and retaining the flyhalf berth this past weekend against the Sharks.

It was another tightly contested clash before Le Roux was replaced in the second half and things started to fall apart for the Bulls.

The article continues below...

Bulls Director of Rugby Jake White explained the early replacement and defended his decision to make the bold call.

"The reason I took him off is because he was saying to the doctor that his groin was very stiff," White said in the post-match press conference.

"Again, it was my call, I just thought we had enough forward dominance.

"I had a No.10 [Boeta Chamberlain] that could go into that position.

"In hindsight, I maybe should have left him there and try and fight through this one.

"But how would I have known? So I put Boeta [Chamberlain] at No.10 which he is, he's a goal kicker, the game was 10-7 [to the Sharks].

"Who knows, maybe we win the game because he kicks a conversion because he's on the field - then it's a masterstroke.

"As it turned out, I just couldn't afford Willie [le Roux] to tell me at the end of the game his groin is sore and he's out for two or three weeks.

"We're not in that luxury yet, especially with the players we don't have at our disposal now."