Jake White says Kurt-Lee Arendse is “phenomenal”, the Vodacom Bulls boss likening the hot-stepping fullback to England’s 2003 World Cup winner, Jason Robinson.
Arendse scored two tries to help the Bulls claim a bonus-point win over Dragons in Pretoria on Saturday, with White’s team now placed seventh in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship.
The ex-Blitzbok dotted down either side of half-time, but it was his second touchdown – a mesmerising run after fielding an up-and-under in his own half – that left his coach full of praise.
“It’s phenomenal to have a fullback like that and good sides have had good fullbacks like him,” White said.
“Jason Robinson, who played for England, could play like that. There also was a moment where he kicked the ball nearly 60 metres, so it’s not just about his running with the ball.
“I thought when he tried to pick the ball up, if he’d kicked the ball, he probably would have gone on and scored again. It’s lovely to have him here and he complements what we have here.”
Come for the try, stay for the filthy Kurt-Lee Arendse step ??@Vodacom #URC | @BlueBullsRugby | #BULvDRA pic.twitter.com/KqG7l8Upi0
— Vodacom United Rugby Championship (URC) (@URCOfficial_RSA) March 26, 2022
Victory over the Dragons was the Bulls’ third consecutive win at home in the URC, which White proudly attributed to his side’s all-encompassing gameplay.
“One of the nice things is that last week, we played really well and this week, we scored another 50 points,” he said. “You’ve got to be proud of that and the way we’re playing is also nice. There’s some good interplay between backs and forwards.
“It’s a tough competition as we saw the Sharks lose and Ulster were unlucky. We just need to take as many wins as we can.”
