As the Vodacom Bulls finished off their league season with a commanding win over the Welsh side Dragons, there was one cameo that caught the eye.
A second-half performance by speedy scrumhalf Bernard van der Linde, the unsung hero who had a hand in three tries in the final quarter, reminded those watching just why he is so highly rated.
But Van der Linde’s story is not one of glory at the Bulls. He probably played his last game for the side in the process, and will head over to England to join Johann van Graan’s Bath side for the next few seasons.
WHITE SAD AT DEPARTURE
That is a loss for the Bulls, and one that coach Jake White said he was “sad” about. Yet it is hard to blame a player who has so much potential but fails to get game time for so long. Saturday’s game was his second in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship, and while he starred in the Currie Cup, the arrival next season of Stormers’ halfback Paul de Wet, coupled with the two starters at the moment - Embrose Papier and Zak Burger - means there probably isn’t a role for him in the current Bulls setup.
Add to that Keagan Johannes, who is also listed as a scrumhalf but has transitioned back into his schoolboy role at 10 in the past few months, and it is clear that the bottleneck ahead of Van der Linde is something that won’t be sorted out in the next few months.
Nobody would blame him for his decision, and it is easy to understand both sides of the argument. Van der Linde now has a chance to compete at Bath with the likes of Louis Schreuder, Ben Spencer, Neil le Roux, Tom Carr-Smith and Ieuan Davies for a starting spot. If it was going to get easier, Bath isn’t the place where he can walk in for a starting role.
SEASON OVER
The Bulls also have the playoffs left this season - a quarterfinal to start it off against Edinburgh - but with Papier returning, Van der Linde’s role is probably done for the season.
“We will still have three games left and Embrose (Papier) is coming back so I’m not sure what Jake’s plans are, but if they need m,e I will be ready. Saturday was unbelievable, it was nice to be back on the field with the boys,” he said when asked about his second-half cameo.
“It was nice to see all the stuff come off because you’ve been training for a long time and haven’t got the opportunities, so just to be on the field with the boys was unbelievable.”
It isn’t hard to understand why Van der Linde is leaving, and his situation is a microcosm of the bigger challenges of all the talent in South Africa at the moment. Players want to play, and when they don’t get the chance, they are likely to look elsewhere.
NO SECOND-TIER COMPETITION
For coaches - the lack of a second-tier competition - like the old Vodacom Cup or SuperSport Challenge - means that often fringe players hold tackling bags for long periods when there is no other competition.
“The main reason is opportunity. I would have loved to get more opportunities at the Bulls, but I’ve been here since 2019 - out of school - and I’ve been training well, but just never got the opportunity to show what I can do,” Van der Linde said when asked why he was leaving.
“I think the biggest thing is game time and opportunity, and with Bath doing so well now, I can get some game time. To be happy as well, it is so comfortable here at the Bulls, my family and girlfriend are here, but the best thing for my career is to go over there and be happy.
“I’m not going to lie, I’m not happy here, because you need to play. For my mind, it is going to be better.”
His only other URC game was against the Sharks a few seasons back, where, by his own admission, he didn’t have the best game. But there is a smile as he says, if this is the way he must “go out,” well, then that is something.
LOADS OF COMPETITION AT NINE
South African rugby is in a good spot at the moment, and it isn’t hard to believe that halfback is one of the toughest positions to be in. If you look at the talent around the country and abroad, there are still Bok veterans like Faf de Klerk and Cobus Reinach (the latter who is heading to the Stormers) around.
Add the Sharks duo of Jaden Hendrikse and Grant Williams, as well as Bok Morne van den Berg and Herschel Jantjies, De Wet and Imaan Khan at the Stormers, and it is clear there is a lot of competition. And that’s forgetting last season’s URC Player of the season, Sanele Nohamba, as well.
So there is a lot of competition, and fewer opportunities for a young player to get noticed. And that all contributes to the bigger picture and decisions that are made.
Van der Linde sees that as “good competition” and has no qualms about competing for a spot. But he does point out that if you aren’t playing, it makes it so much tougher.
“It's hard when you're not on the field and you can't show the other guys what you can do. Jaden and I are the same age and we were with each other throughout our school years at all the national camps.. It's weird because you know, you almost know what you can bring to the table and what they bring to the table.
TOUGH WHEN NOT PLAYING
“It's hard when you're sitting and watching the games at home every single weekend. You can't actually show the people what you can do and the coaches what you can do. It's hard for other guys as well because if you don't play, the other teams and the other coaches can't see you and they're not going to contract you because they don't see you play.
“So it's a tough situation to be in. At Bath, I'm going to give it my all, and I can't wait to go. But like you said, it is difficult, but it's good competition.
“It's hard to say what the long-term goal now is. It's always a dream to play for the Springboks. But I don’t know what the future holds, but that remains a dream. We will see what happens.”
The Bulls’ loss is Bath’s gain. And Van der Linde has a new challenge and new opportunity. One can only wish him the best as he looks to fulfill his dream.