Bulls player ratings v Pau: Bok-inspired Bomb Squad ‘turn the tide’ while back-rowers sum up ‘valiant efforts’ in victory
Investec Champions Cup Round 4, Stade du Hameau, Pau, France 16/1/2026 .Pau vs Vodacom Bulls .Vodacom Bulls' Cheswill Jooste celebrates with Zak Burger after scoring his sides third try of the match.Mandatory Credit ©INPHO/Ryan Byrne
Following the Bulls’ 26-24 win over Pau in round four of the Investec Champions Cup, here is how we scored Johan Ackermann’s side.
15 Willie le Roux: Steady would be the word to describe his night’s work. Did well in the backfield in testing conditions, and looked to get his side playing at tempo when possible, but not quite able to fully explode. 6
14 Cheswill Jooste: Starved of real possession in the first-half, but when the game opened up after the break, boy oh boy did he come to life. Proved a real threat ball-in-hand, notching a game-high 87 metres from just four carries alongside a fine solo try, but also came off his wing to look for work whenever he could. Continues to look the part at senior level. 7
13 Sebastian de Klerk: Not as visible as previous outings, but that’s by no means a criticism. Wasn’t afforded much time on the ball, but he certainly made his moments count when fed. 6
12 Harold Vorster: An understated yet impactful display. While he wasn’t utilised to his fullest in attack, stepped up in defence with some big efforts in a busy centre channel. 6
11 Kurt-Lee Arendse: Good to see him get some proper minutes into his legs after a lengthy spell out, but he struggled to really get a foothold in the contest in tough conditions. Will certainly be better for the game time, though. 5
10 Handre Pollard: A few uncharacteristic errors here and there, but recovered well to have a decent impact. Pleasingly showed his skills in the carry too, alongside some decent playmaking when the chance presented itself. 6
9 Zak Burger: Solid without setting the pitch alight. Distributed well out of a messy ruck, and, like many in his side, grew into the game as it went on. 6
The forwards
8 Nizaam Carr: His exploits sum up this valiant Bulls effort, playing an increasingly key role in the victory. He was simply rock solid across every facet of the game today, making an eye-watering 24 tackles alongside 51 metres from his seven carries ball-in-hand. Just a really classy display all round. 8
7 Mpilo Gumede: Ran his blood to water in an all-court effort. His night began with a tidy score out wide, but it’s his defensive efforts that leave the biggest impression tonight after notching a mighty 21 tackles. 7
6 Marcell Coetzee: Will likely be sore in the morning, after a tireless defensive effort. Made an astonishing 17 tackles in the first-half alone, adding a further five to his tally before his departure early in the second, and threw his body into the breakdown too. 7
5 Reinhardt Ludwig: His yellow card certainly blots the copybook, given Pau grabbed 10 points during that 10-minute stint, but was still pretty solid. Worked hard in defence, like many of his pack, and played a role in the lineout. 5
4 Ruan Vermaak: Like his lock partner, just worked his socks off in a gritty and industrious shift. Got well and truly stuck into the defensive efforts with 17 tackles and a turnover. 6
3 Mornay Smith: Quietly went about his business tonight, in a strong effort. Had a decent ding-dong in the scrum, and looked to get involved around the park as much as he could. Like many, ended the night with a generous tackle count of 15. 6
2 Akker van der Merwe: Made plenty of work for himself on both sides of the ball, but unfortunately, his evening was brought to an early end through a head injury. 6
1 Jan-Hendrik Wessels: Was a proper Jack-of-all-trades tonight, but was excellent. Had a really good battle in the scrum, threw into the lineout well when called upon and backed everything up with some monstrous defensive efforts too – tallying 19 tackles come the full-time whistle. 7
Replacements: The bench came on with Pau in the ascendancy, but they helped turn the tide to inspire a huge result. Springbok forwards Marco van Staden, Cobus Wiese and Ruan Nortje were the real stars of the show on the bench, injecting some serious beef into their side’s efforts and getting them fully on the front-foot towards the end. Jeandre Rudolph, Alulutho Tshakweni and Francois Klopper only added to that, too, with some really strong efforts. This is exactly the sort of thing the coaching staff would have wanted out of the bench. 8