Reinhardt Ludwig from the Bulls team is among the South African players participating in tough preseason games against the All Blacks as part of the 'Rugbys Greatest Rivalry Tour' 2026.
Ludwig realizes that the Bulls are preparing to enter a completely new phase. After a confident victory over Zebre with a score of 47:13 in sunny Parma, the team will face a much tougher challenge against Munster in cold and rainy Limerick on Saturday evening.
The contrast between these matches is quite significant. The last time the teams met, Munster lost 54:14 at the sunny Loftus Versfeld stadium, and the Bulls won the last three encounters against the Irish giants.
However, these past results will matter less when they step onto Thomond Park stadium to meet Munster, who recently lost to Glasgow Warriors at home 26:20 in the first round.
Ludwig, one of the stars of the Bulls after two touchdowns against Zebre, expects a sharp increase in the level of competition. He stated: 'Munster is definitely another challenge. They are a good team, a real Irish team. They must be respected.'
He added that they had reviewed some moments from the quarter-final match but admitted that it was a long time ago. 'This is a new season; we have new goals. We had an extremely difficult preseason, and for us, it is more important now to focus on what we can do now and challenge ourselves, rather than paying too much attention to our opponents.'
The 24-year-old forward believes that Munster possesses enough power to throw the Bulls off balance in areas where they were vulnerable against Zebre, especially during scrums. 'There is always room for improvement after the first match. It wasn't perfect,' he noted.
Despite the need to improve scrum work, the Bulls' lineout was a strength in Parma, where Ludwig, Roan Vermark, and J. F. van Heerden stood out. Ludwig emphasized that 'it is not a one-man show.'
Nevertheless, for Ludwig, Saturday's challenge is not just another URC match. The former prefect of African High School spent recent seasons fighting for a permanent spot in the Bulls squad, competing with players like Roan Northhe and Kobus Wiese. He acknowledges the disappointment of not being selected and says that this fueled his preparation for the current season.
'It hasn't always been sunny and rosy, especially at the end of last season,' he shared. 'It hurts not to play. The only one who knows that feeling is the one who wasn't chosen. That feeling stayed with me, and I think it motivated me throughout this preseason. I was lucky to perform well against Zebre, but that feeling motivated me not to feel it again this season.'