PRETORIA – At a press conference streamed live on social media, Blue Bulls company president Willem Strauss announced Pote Human as the new man in charge at Loftus verveld. Alan Zondagh was also unveiled as the new director of rugby.
Human and Zondagh had the following to say:
Pote Human - On being his own man:
“I coached under Heyneke Meyer and Mitch (John Mitchell) last year so I learnt a lot from both of them. I can take that experience forward and be myself. I can’t be Heyneke Meyer, I can’t be anybody else. I’m Pote Human and I do it my way.
“We will train the same way we did last year because the players bought in and very excited before Mitch left.”
Pote Human - On his appointment:
“I was always hoping to get the job. I heard it officially yesterday (Monday) and I am still in shock. I’m really pleased and happy and I will make it work, I have to make it work.”
Pote Human - On his goals for the Bulls in Super Rugby:
“Make the playoffs firstly. We must try to get a home quarter-final.
“I know it is a big task and they could have appointed any coach that they wanted but if the team doesn’t win then you won’t fill Loftus. That is our priority and business, and that’s my aim for next year. I know we have a good squad and the guys are hungry for success.”
Pote Human, newly appointed coach of the Bulls during yesterday's press conference. Photo: Samuel Shivambu/BackpagePix
New director of rugby Alan Zondagh:
“I think we are going into exciting times and what John Mitchell started last year was something special on the playing side and I hope that we can build on that. I’m sure Pote will put his own flavour to it and we will make sure that we bring the public back to Loftus.
“This is not an easy job and Super Rugby is a difficult competition, but if you look at the way the Bulls played last year and the games that they lost and shouldn’t have lost, it could have been a totally different outcome.
“We are looking forward to it and there are some exciting times lying ahead.”
Blue Bulls Rugby Union president Willem Strauss on Human:
“We setting up Pote to succeed. We are going to really bend over to accommodate him in terms of assistants, consultants and specialists he might need. 2019 is a critical year for Blue Bulls rugby and it is important for us to create that winning environment. We are coming out of probably the leanest eight years in the history of the union and we need to turn that around drastically in terms of our results.”
Former Bok skipper Victor Matfield was widely expected to get the job at the Bulls. Photo: Chris Ricco/BackpagePix
Strauss on Victor Matfield:
“What it comes down to is the insecurity of being a coach. It may be that when he looked at the high-risk situation maybe he is better off where he is now in terms of security and his family.
“I guess it was a personal decision that he took.”