White after defeating 'former student' Powell: 'He’ll get it right, like he did with Blitzboks'

Bulls director of rugby Jake White joked that seeing Neil Powell, who now holds the same position at the Sharks, made him "feel old" after he coached the former scrumhalf and Sevens player in the SA-Under21s more than two decades ago.

The two directors of rugby squared off for the first time since Powell took the reins from Sharks head coach Sean Everitt.

Despite that handover from Everitt to Powell, results at Loftus followed the same pattern of the last two years since White took over: the Bulls largely dominating.

READ | White's Bulls get statement bonus-point win over Sharks in Powell's Loftus baptism

Powell, who is in his first role heading a 15s outfit, was up against a grizzled former Springbok World Cup-winning coach who has tasted plenty success since his return to SA to coach the Bulls and has a settled unit.

But the coaches' corridor encounters gave White some time to reflect on how far some of his "former students" had come as coaches.

"It's interesting because I coached Neil in 1999 in the Under-21s when we went to a World Cup in Argentina," said White.

"I know he's a [former] Sevens player and has a certain view on how he plays the game but it's nice that those players I coached are now coming through.

"You've got Jaque Fourie and Albert van den Berg coaching at the Lions, now Neil's coaching the Sharks. It makes me feel a bit old now.

"When I come down that tunnel, I see coaches who I remember as youngsters."

The Bulls scored four tries in their 40-27 victory in Pretoria, controlling the beginning and closing stages of the match.

The Sharks looked incoherent in large parts, except for the period just before and just after half-time.

White said it would take some time for Powell's ideas to bed in but, once embedded, as