Bulls flyer to bring his own 'magic'
Thu, 18 Feb 2010 16:24
Another score: Bulls flyer Gerhard van den Heever
The departure of Springbok superstar Bryan Habana to Cape Town has left an undoubted void, but in young Gerhard van den Heever the Bulls believe they have the perfect successor.
The 20-year-old flyer readily admits that he can't be 'another Habana', but he has promised to bring his own brand of magic to the Bulls.
Speaking to rugby365.com ahead of the Round Two Super 14 encounter with the Brumbies on Saturday, Van den Heever said 2010 is a big year for him.
Having played four times for the Bulls in 2009, having made his debut against the Stormers, he now has the opportunity to establish himself as the Bulls' first choice on the wing.
And already, he feels, there is a difference.
"I have improved a lot from last year," Van den Heever told rugby365.com, when asked how he feels about getting a regular spot in the starting XV.
"However, this is obviously a big year for me, in which I must make that step up and have a bigger influence on the team's success."
He added that he does not see himself as a replacement for Habana and, having been named to start in the No.14 jersey in the first few rounds, he feels it is more important to work on his own game, rather than trying to emulate a great like the World Cup-winning Bok.
"You can't replace Bryan [Habana], you just have to bring your own magic to the game," he said, adding: "You won't be able to copy somebody else.
"You just have to bring out the best of your own game."
Like all young players, Van den Heever knows there are lots of aspects of his own game he still needs to improve, despite a satisfactory try-scoring start to the season in the win over the Cheetahs last week.
"I doubt I am the busiest guy on the field, but I think my finishing ability is my strength," the rapid wing told rugby365.com.
He described the six-try win over the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein, his place of birth, as "a good start" to the season, but added that "not everything went 100 percent according to plan".
"It [the win] certainly helped with the confidence levels, but now we must work on smoothing over the rough edges."
However, the Brumbies this week present a very different challenge.
"We have a tough game," he said of the outing at Loftus Versfeld, adding: "The Brumbies played very well last week [a 24-15 win over the Western Force in Perth].
"They have adjusted well to the new law interpretations.
"They are also very good with countering from turnovers and their backline runs very good lines.
"It means that our defensive lines will be a key aspect, as we have to close down their space.
"We'll have to do our homework and make sure we are the better team on the day."
He said it will be a great help that the Bulls have managed to maintain so much continuity over the years, with very few changes, which allows new and young players to slot in smoothly.
"We have worked hard in the pre-season to get our game plan in order, so it will be easier for us to stay with the systems," he added.
Van den Heever, who has been in the Bulls' systems since his school days, has displayed all the attributes to compete at Super Rugby level.
He is an exceptional fast player – some say even faster than Habana – his defence is solid and he has the ability to score tries.
By Jan de Koning