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- Bulls assistant coach Chris Rossouw has offered some hope that Ivan van Zyl, who will be heading to the Saracens, will only leave Pretoria in mid-2021.
- While the deal has yet to be ratified, the English giants’ season in the country’s second division could dissuade the Bok runner from reportedly leaving at the end of the month.
- Rossouw said there is no denying that the 25-year-old is having an “incredible season” to date.
While stating that he actually has little information on the matter, Bulls assistant coach Chris Rossouw has offered some hope that Ivan van Zyl will not leave for England by the end of the month.
Edgar Rathbone, the franchise’s chief executive, confirmed to Netwerk24 on Monday that the influential Springbok scrum-half had previously indicated that he wants to advance his career in England, with Saracens as the winning bidder.
But the reports of the fallen giants of the English game who recruited him already this month are misplaced, as no deal has yet been ratified and Van Zyl will only be released in July 2021.
“Well, the Saracens are currently playing in the second division (after their automatic relegation for breach of salary cap regulations),” Rossouw said.
“So I think he will only move once his contract ends next year, but I’m not aware of anything concrete.”
What is undeniable, however, is that the six-game international has revived his career since the resumption of local rugby, reveling under the direction of Jake White and co, as well as his weekly sessions with Springbok legend Fourie du Preez.
Van Zyl saw a notable drop in confidence during 2019 when his rotational duel for the Bulls jersey with teammate Bok Embrose Papier negatively influenced both.
But those dark days seem to be behind us.
“Ivan is having an incredible season,” Rossouw said.
“We have always known that his bases are outstanding. He has one of the best passes, not only in South African rugby but perhaps in the world.”
Ironically, it’s that focus on the basics that has perhaps paralyzed him before.
“Previously, Ivan was so focused on serving his flying half well and cleaning the rucks that he sometimes forgot to scan the field for other opportunities to raise awareness for the defense,” Rossouw said.
“We worked a lot on that during the block, increasing his spatial awareness and it is paying off. He has really varied his game well between kicking and looking for that strange gap to pressure the opposing defense.
“He has never neglected his basic principles of good service. He has really had an incredible season to date.”
