From finisher to grafter: Madosh Tambwe's steady rise towards becoming a Bulls bolter

To understand how much Madosh Tambwe has grown as a player since joining the Bulls last year, consider how eager he was to tell Jake White, his director of rugby and head coach, that he'd been awarded the official Man of the Match award against the Lions this past weekend.

Never shy to deliver a deadpan response, White said: "He came to me immediately and told the news. So I asked him: 'How did you do that without scoring a try?' "

Ironically, those words perfectly illustrate how the lanky 24-year-old winger is starting to become a real bolter in the Bulls' backline - not because he's crossing the whitewash regularly, but doing the unfashionable things well.

Tambwe, one of only two Lions in history score four tries in a Super Rugby match, came to Loftus from the Sharks very much still considered a deadly finisher.

But that perception is changing. 

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"I'm very happy with him," said White.

"I'm also proud of him because he's starting to communicate. When he came here, he was a bit young and shy. The more Madosh has played, there more confidence he's gained and now he talks."

Innocuous as it sounds, that's a very important consideration as Tambwe has, almost suddenly, become the senior figure in White's back three with Blitzboks star but inexperienced 15s exponent Kurt-Lee Arendse and 19-year-old Canan Moodie alongside him.

"We have a rookie at this level and a youngster. Madosh is helping them," said White.

"I don't like singling out players, but Madosh's growth has been significant. I think everyone is seeing that. The challenge now is to make sure we keep improving him."

One of the more critical factors in Tambwe's rise is that White is