Cape Town – Jake White says Sbu Nkosi does not warrant selection in the Blue Bulls team at the moment, and the Springbok wing needs to make a decision about where he wants to continue his rugby career.
The 27-year-old speedster scored two tries for the World XV against the Barbarians at Twickenham at the weekend, but has been out of the mix over the past few months at the Bulls.
That was after Nkosi returned to training a while ago, having previously gone AWOL from Loftus Versfeld.
Bulls CEO Edgar Rathbone has spoken before about Nkosi’s mental health battle, and the franchise have tried to support the 16-Test Bok and get him back onto the pitch.
Having been cleared by the Bulls to turn out for the World XV, Nkosi posted on his Instagram account after the match: “It was reviving to my passion, to spend a mere week with men who are pure of heart. A break from being judged by men who are bigger in their minds than they are in reality.”
White said on Thursday, having announced his Bulls team to face the Griffons at Loftus Versfeld on Friday (5.05pm kickoff), that he had addressed the social media post with Nkosi, and that the player needed to decide if he wants to continue to play for the Pretoria side.
“It would be sad if that happens (that Nkosi’s career ends). I don’t think anybody – I’ve got kids his age – go from being a World Cup winner into not being guaranteed of playing rugby. He is a talented player,” White said.
“I am very disappointed with what he wrote on social media… He knows it, I’ve had a meeting with him. Considering the Bulls let him go and play in a game overseas, to read the comments he made was obviously disappointing.
“But as I said, he’s got to make decisions. He is a big boy now, and he’s got to make decisions about where he wants to go. And it’s not always in anyone else’s hands other than the player.
“But at this point in time, he is not playing well enough, he is not training hard enough, and I don’t see him enough for him to warrant selection above guys who have been training in the group anyway.
“It’s not for me to discuss a guy’s future. As I said, he is a big boy now. He’s a World Cup-winning Springbok and he’s got to make decisions now about where he wants to be, and he’s got to make sure those decisions are in the best interests of himself and the club.”
Nkosi could have provided a much-needed attacking edge to the Bulls backline against the Griffons, as they are missing Bok stars Kurt-Lee Arendse and Canan Moodie, while wing Stravino Jacobs is injured.
Instead, Cornal Hendricks and David Kriel will line up at No 14 and No 11 respectively.
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