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Marcell Coetzee (Photo by Brendan Moran / Sportsfile via Getty Images)
Ulster They may start as the favorites this weekend against Leinster in the PRO14 final, but if they want to have a chance, much of their forward momentum will come down to their “clutch player” – Springbok loose forward Marcell coetzee.
Coetzee’s performance in the semi-final did not go unnoticed, and the player in whom Ulster had invested so much after his first two injury-plagued seasons, delivered when it mattered against Edinburgh.
But Coetzee’s fighting spirit, who overcame two ACL injuries, underwent surgery and missed two World Cup team selections at the last minute, and he still returns week after week for performances. Inspiring for his club, he displays a pedigree Ulster will need this weekend if they want to upset the odds.
“He’s a brave man,” Ulster coach Dan McFarland said when asked about the lazy Springbok forward.
Coetzee played just four games in his first season with Ulster and only one in his second. Both knee injuries required surgery, and Coetzee just came back and asked for more.
McFarland underscored his worth by placing him in a league of players who know that when timing matters, they will deliver.
“He doesn’t win a lot of man of the match awards, but that’s because John Cooney wins a lot of them, right? He is a huge player. Physically he’s huge, but he also makes decisive plays and in those games you need decisive players, ”McFarland said.
“Johnny Sexton is a key player. When you need him to kick a corner penalty and land five meters from the line, he just takes it out of the bag. Marcell, when you need a jackal, he takes it out of the bag.
“In the last 20 minutes, when you need several muscle carries, he will do it for you. He works tirelessly for us and is also a great man to be around. It is what many psychologists would describe as “social blue.”
“He is not a leader in the sense of telling people what to do all the time, but he has a way of acting that brings people together and makes people feel part of it and that it is important. I have a lot of respect for Marcell. “
Coetzee’s leadership skills, his carrying game and the ability to get the ball in when it matters will be key for Ulster this weekend. Big games require great players, and Coetzee Ulster knows they have one of the best.
– PRO14 medium
