LIFE OF JEFF: Van Heerden taking steep "learning curve" head on

He’s already been billed the find of last season, when at 19 he was thrown in at the deep end to face Maro Itoje in the lineouts, and performed way better than expected.

But now, a year later SA under-20 captain JF van Heerden - or “Jeff” to his teammates, knows that his learning process and rise in international rugby is going to come with some hard knocks.

That was more than the case last weekend when Storm Darragh and a Saracens pack blew the Bulls away in London, and dealt a blow to their plans in the Investec Champions’ Cup.

Now, back in the heat of Tshwane’s brutal sun and in the comforts of their own, more familiar surroundings, the Bulls are preparing for a crucial game in their Champions’ Cup plans - against the side that put 50 on them in last season’s quarterfinal.

The equation is simple. At this stage of the competition you can’t afford to lose home games, and after losing in London, in coach Jake White’s words, the Bulls are down, but not dead.

That process of standing up comes in only their second game of the season at home - a bizarre draw that has seen them on the road since the season began after their win over Edinburgh.

There are things to fix, as Van Heerden points out, and this is the time to fix them.

“It was a tough weekend, there were a lot of things we had to learn but nothing that can’t be fixed,” Van Heerden said when facing local media.

“It was small discipline errors, having two yellow cards at the same time that made it tough.”

The learning curve is steep at this level, the former Grey Kollege lock admits. But he is made of tough stock. Hailing from a farm outside Kimberley, tough conditions don’t break you, they simply make you stronger.

And that learning curve is something he is getting used to, with the help of coaches and teammates.

“It’s a big difference calling line-outs at SA Under-20 level and then coming to this level,” he smiles.

“I suppose it’s good learning for me as a player and everyone has been very open about it. Ruan Nortje helps me a lot. If you have teammates with that experience, it makes it a bit easier.

“It takes a lot of pressure off you if you have a solid plan before you go into a match.”

He has been open about his own game, and the learning curve, but believes he is slowly getting better, and once he hits his straps, his coaches know that he could be a Bok big hitter for the future.

“Everyone who plays rugby knows that you are going to make mistakes in a game, it happens,” he gets serious for a moment.

“It’s definitely something that comes with experience, but having teammates like Ruan and Akker van der Merwe with experience, when a call doesn’t go our way, they just keep you calm.

“It is more challenging calling lineouts at this level. But everyone has been very open and helpful. And with a coach like Coach Andries obviously knowing a thing or two about lineouts, it takes a lot of pressure off of you having a solid plan going into the game,” he added.

“Coach Andries has had a big impact on my game; he likes being honest and that’s a trait that I appreciate. There’s so many guys in this team who have experience and good qualities.”

The physical stuff, however, is where he revels, and he knows that the Saints will bring that this weekend to Loftus, and will want to claim a massive scalp with a win.

“They’re physical, like us, so that’s something they will bring to the table,” Van Heerden said.

“They have one of the strongest set pieces in the competition, so the forwards will play a big role.”

The biggest problem at the moment is coping with the heat, after so many weeks in the northern hemisphere. But that’s a welcome problem to have. And at Loftus everything just seems to go smoother, easier and there is an extra bounce in everyone’s step.

And Van Heerden is hoping to make a big impact this weekend in a game his team needs to win to keep their Champions’ Cup plans on track.