Springbok, Bulls centre blown away by Arendse, Moodie, Simelane: 'They have boatloads of talent'

Lionel Mapoe might be 34 years old, but he remains a key figure in the Bulls locker room and very much part of coach Jake White's first-team set-up at the franchise.

A Springbok of 16 Test caps, the former Cheetahs, Lions and Stade Francais man is still operating at an extremely high level, evidenced by the fact that White backed him in the No 13 jersey for last weekend's North/South derby against the Stormers in Cape Town.

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That result did not go the way of Mapoe and the Bulls - they lost 37-27 - but Mapoe and his team-mates are ready to bounce back on New Year's Eve when they take on the Sharks in Durban.

The Bulls are expected to field a strong side in that match, with Mapoe playing alongside other Boks in the backline, like a roommate and long-time friend Cornal Hendricks, while the speed of Kurt-Lee Arendse and Canan Moodie will also be unleashed.

2022 has been a massive year for both Arendse and Moodie, who exploded onto the international stage with hugely impressive introductions to Test match rugby.

It is that blend between experience and youth that helps make the Bulls such an exciting side to watch presently, and it was impossible to miss Mapoe's eyes lighting up when asked to speak about the skillsets of players like Arendse (26), Moodie (20) and 24-year-old Wandisile Simelane. 

"It's crazy. They have boatloads of talent. They are really good players.

"They inspire me again. It rolls back the years and makes me think of when I was their age, to think that I was also that fast at one point," Mapoe laughed.

"They have so much talent and long careers ahead of them. I can only help where I can.

"My role in the team is a bit broader now. Cornal and I are roommates, so we