Cobus Wiese is staying in Blue after the Springbok lock has snubbed the Stormers to sign a new three-year deal at Loftus. Photo: Backpagepix
Image: Backpagepix
Bulls lock Cobus Wiese says that if the Bulls do not fight fire with fire when Munster visit on Saturday in their United Rugby Championship clash, they could go the same way as they did when they mentally failed to pitch against the Stormers a few weeks ago.
It was a painful lesson for a Bulls team that had been flying high after four consecutive wins. Now they are "once bitten, twice shy" as the Irishmen come to Loftus Versfeld following a bruising experience in the Shark Tank last week.
“This is going to be a highly physical battle,” Wiese said. “If you want the simple answer about what we must do to win, it is to be more desperate than they are.
“If you look at it a bit deeper, any team coming to Loftus wants to make a statement. It’s a tale as old as time — if you dominate the forwards, you’re going to put yourself in a good position to win the game.
"So, for me personally, and as a pack of forwards, we have to pride ourselves on being physical. That’s not to say we’re more physical than Munster, because they’ve got a quality pack. But for us now, it’s focusing on ourselves and moving forward as a unit.”
In terms of personnel, Munster will be better off than they were against the Sharks because they have some of their rested Ireland internationals back.
“Jeremy Loughman is one of the few props in Ireland who can play both sides, so we’ve definitely taken note of that. He’s a quality player and got some game time in the Six Nations,” Wiese said.
Jeremy Loughman of Munster. Photo: AFP
Image: AFP
“And then (half-backs) Jack Crowley and Craig Casey — I think Crowley is the best 10 in Ireland at the moment. He reads the game well and manages it well. So we expect Munster to bring a massive fight.
"They’ll want to bounce back, and what better way to do it than to beat the Bulls at Loftus?”
On a personal note, Wiese confirmed that he has turned down an offer from the Stormers and has extended his contract with the Bulls for another three years. Wiese was originally a Stormer (2017–2020) before enjoying a successful tenure at the Sale Sharks. He returned to South Africa in 2024 and joined the Bulls.
It proved to be a shrewd move; last season he made his Springbok debut against Italy in Gqeberha and remains a part of Rassie Erasmus’s greater plans. Wiese said he made the decision to stay in Pretoria for family reasons.
“It would’ve been an easier decision four years ago with just myself and my fiancé to move around, but now I’ve got a family,” the 28-year-old said.
“I now have a wife, a little girl and a two-month-old boy. It’s just not yourself you’re thinking about.
“My daughter is in a very good school, and we enjoy the people of Pretoria. It’s a good set-up we’ve got going here now. Coach Johan (Ackermann) whispered one or two things in my ear that I took into consideration, but for myself and my family, Pretoria is the best fit for the next three years.”