Bulls' pacemen keep Petersen sharp

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Vodacom Bulls wing Sergeal Petersen says he's loving life in Pretoria despite limited playing opportunities.

Petersen, who burst onto the scene in 2013 as an 18-year-old speed merchant for the Southern Kings, has earned just 12 caps since making his debut for the Bulls in November 2023.

The Bulls are well-stocked in the speed department, with Kurt-Lee Arendse (currently on a sabbatical in Japan), Canan Moodie, Aphiwe Dyantyi, Sebastian de Klerk and Devon Williams providing Petersen with plenty of competition for a place in the back three.

It took an injury to Arendse for Petersen to start in last season's URC semi-final against Leinster at Loftus, and he ran with the opportunity to score two tries in a famous win.

This season, Petersen has made just two appearances for the Bulls – a 15-minute stint off the bench against the Sharks at Kings Park in December, and 80 minutes in the No 11 jersey against Stade Francais last week.

If Petersen is frustrated by a lack of game time, he did well to hide it when speaking to the media on Tuesday ahead of the Bulls' URC match against the Lions at Ellis Park this Saturday.

"You try to keep yourself mentally and physically sharp, so that you're ready for when the team calls on you," he said. "I always back myself whenever I step on to the field. For me, the main thing now is to enjoy every moment I get to play, and express myself. Even at practice, it's about having a smile on my face and enjoying it.

"I'm a competitor and that's one of the reasons I came back to South Africa [after a stint with the Shimizu Koto Blue Sharks in Japan]. I wanted to be in a competitive environment again. The fact that I love competing and just love rugby makes it a lot easier to stay motivated every day.

"I'm really loving my time here,” he added. “I'm an Afrikaans boy so Pretoria hasn't been too much of an adaption for me, and the Bulls' facilities and management are world class."

MORE: Bulls savouring 'spicy 80 minutes' at Ellis Park

Petersen helped the Stormers win the inaugural URC and he is hoping to play a part in the Bulls' title charge this season – starting with Saturday's Jukskei derby.

"It's going to be a tough one," he said. "We expect a lot of running rugby from the Lions as well as a big, physical game up front.

“We will play towards our strengths, but we got nice ball on the edges during last weekend's match against Stade Francais, so hopefully we get a few more [attacking] opportunities on Saturday.

"Ellis Park is one of my favourite stadiums so I'm really looking forward to it."

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Photo: Gordon Arons/Gallo Images

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