Willie le Roux says he can still learn a few things at flyhalf ahead of facing the Stormers in the return North vs South derby in Pretoria.
Image: AFP
Making the right decision at the right time is something Willie le Roux is still trying to get right as the Bulls' flyhalf in the United Rugby Championship (URC).
Although playing as first-receiver is not an entirely new position for the veteran, he admits that he can still learn a few things to improve his game as the decision-maker for his side. So far, veteran has delivered match-winning performances and is pleased with his progress.
Le Roux (35) played a crucial role against the Lions this past weekend, helping his side to a 31-19 victory by scoring a try and assisting another. The victory created daylight between them and the fourth-placed Sharks on the URC points log and kept them in touch with the Glasgow Warriors in second. The unbeaten Leinster is comfortably at the top of the log.
This weekend, he is expected to play another important role at 10 when they take on the Stormers at Loftus Versfeld in the return North vs South derby match. There could also be some good news for the Pretoria outfit with reports suggesting Le Roux decided to stay in the capital.
"We are in talks," the veteran said with a smile about negotiations to stay on. "There will hopefully be certainty within the next month."
On making the shift to flyhalf, he says as a fullback he has had to step in at 10 over the years, but being the starter is something different.
"I still have to figure out the small adjustments, like calling the plays and getting back into the line on defence. But, I am enjoying it. You learn something new each week. I still need to get that balance right.
"At fullback, I had plenty more time to look for space. When I'm at flyhalf and calling the plays, changing the direction of the attack, one tends to look less at space and sometimes miss chances. I can work on that and maybe look up quicker (at 10) to see who is in front of you defending."
The Bulls returned to training yesterday, knowing a tough second derby awaits against the hurting Stormers. There was little time to celebrate the win over the Lions and they know another victory over the visitors would take them one step closer to securing a home playoff.
Le Roux has warned, though, that the Stormers will be out for revenge after losing in Cape Town for the first time against them when the Bulls claimed a 33-32 victory.
"We know how desperate they will be and it will be a very tough game. We want to focus on what we can do and be there mentally. There is no motivation needed for a North-South game. It will be a sell-out at Loftus with an unbelievable crowd and vibe.
"Everyone is waiting for this game. We want to play simple Bulls rugby and not allow things to get too chaotic."You know the threats of the Stormers and how well they can attack and how hard their defence comes up. It will be a big test for us and we want to put up a good performance."