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Vlok Cilliers is back at Loftus, and if his record is anything to go by, Vodacom Bulls backs had better start practising their goal-kicking in earnest. The 58-year-old has been appointed as the Bulls' new kicking coach after a seven-year spell in France, and he arrives with a CV that reads like a Pretoria dynasty pamphlet.
Cilliers' Success at Loftus
Cilliers is no stranger to Loftus success. He became South Africa's first full-time kicking coach during the Bulls' golden era under Heyneke Meyer and Frans Ludeke, working closely with the likes of Derick Hougaard and Morné Steyn as the Bulls swept three Super Rugby titles and three Currie Cup crowns between 2004 and 2014. That is the kind of pedigree that commands instant respect in any coaching environment.
After leaving Loftus he joined the Stormers briefly before linking up with Fabien Galthié's France coaching team in 2019 — a role that took him to the top of world rugby's coaching tree. His stint with Les Bleus has now come to an early end, and South African rugby is the beneficiary.
All Blacks Test Awaits Bulls
His first major assignment could not be more demanding. The Bulls face the All Blacks at Loftus Versfeld this Saturday, with Curwin Bosch — the man Cilliers is most eager to work with — expected to carry the kicking responsibilities. Anton Lienert-Brown has already flagged that the All Blacks are bracing for the boot of both Bosch and Willie le Roux as a key threat. That is precisely the kind of tactical respect a kicking coach helps manufacture.