Arno Botha says he is trying not to let emotions get the better of him ahead of a potential second farewell game for the Vodacom Bulls in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship final in Cape Town on Saturday. DYLAN JACK reports.
Saturday’s URC grand final in Cape Town against the Stormers could be Botha’s final appearance in a Bulls jersey as the loose forward is set to move to France at the end of the season.
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The 30-year-old, who started his career in Pretoria before stints with London Irish and Munster, has signed with Lyon and will be joining the club in mid-July.
Whether Saturday’s game will be his final in the famous blue jersey depends, of course, on whether the Bulls’ Currie Cup contenders progress to next week’s final, but the next fortnight will nevertheless be emotional for the Springbok.
During an online media conference on Wednesday, Botha said that playing in the URC final will be motivation enough for him and he isn’t letting the emotions sink in just yet.
“It could be one of my last games, depending on what happens in the Currie Cup. I must say, I am not really thinking about it. I wouldn’t say that it’s my motivation to play. I will only start thinking about it afterwards. For now, it’s only about what we can do to win this weekend.
“I feel like if someone starts thinking about it being their last game, you let in emotions that you normally never would during a game. If you’ve played 40 games in two years for the Bulls, you shouldn’t have that emotion. For me, it’s really about what I can do to help the Bulls. I can’t be carrying that extra emotion. I won’t be using it as an extra motivator. I must just give my best for the guys and the union.”
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Since rejoining the Bulls for his second stint with the club in 2020, Botha has helped the Pretoria outfit win back-to-back Currie Cup titles.
“It’s definitely something I am proud about,” said Botha. “I couldn’t have hoped for a better two years with the Bulls. I can’t think of a union I would have had a better time with in terms of family and lifestyle as well.”
Botha added that the Bulls camp is calm ahead of what is expected to be a ferocious final between the old rivals.
“There’s always a few small things that you can work on or look at that you haven’t looked at for the whole season. Not necessarily always skill-wise, but definitely mentally. It’s not a scale-down in terms of training, but it is a bit more calm. It’s about boxing smart. We won’t be needing to make a 180-degree turn on plays or on defence. If we have been doing it and getting it right, then we will be fine. We are calm and know what we need to do. ”
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