Dries set aside a few minutes to answer a couple of quick questions.

What is your take on the Blue Bulls’ start to the 2009 Absa Currie Cup?

We struggled to get any sort of momentum going against the Lions and I have to admit that after a few weeks off playing Currie Cup rugby was quite a shock to the system, but we finished the game on a high and against the WP things went much better.

Where did things change for the Blue Bulls against WP?
Against WP we kicked better and that has made all the difference. When our kicking patterns are in place we play a whole lot better and from there we can put the opposition under pressure and create turnovers.

Do you enjoy playing at number 8?
I love it, but it must say that I would like to up my work rate. I had to do a lot of covering at the back but in the future I would like to be more involved as a tackler, ball carrier and chaser of kicks.

Tell us about your early days
I was born in Bloemfontein on 21 December 1985 and stayed there for the majority of my life.

What primary school did you go to?
I went to Universitas Primêr (Bloemfontein).

What position did you play in primary school?
I played tighthead prop.

Who was your childhood hero?
Bobby Skinstad. I have always been a great fan of the way he plays the game.

High school?
I enrolled at St Andrews (Bloemfontein) where I played in the front row till grade ten. In grade eleven I started playing number 8.

What did you do after matric?
I studied at the University of the Free State and played for the Cheetahs’ under 19s, 20s and 21s. In 2006 I made my Vodacom Cup debut for the Cheetahs and later that year I played Currie Cup rugby for the Falcons. In 2007 I went back to Bloemfontein for the Vodacom Cup and joined the Boland for the Currie Cup season. In 2008 I played Vodacom Cup and Currie Cup rugby for the Boland Cavaliers before I started training with the Vodacom Bulls on 1 November 2008.

What are the main differences between playing for the Bulls and what you have experienced at the other Unions?
At the Blue Bulls a lot of attention is given to the small things. The Bulls fine tune everything and at the end of the day the attention given to detail makes a massive difference.

The Bulls are also mentally very tough and all the coaches back the players a hundred percent. Every week I have a one-on-one session with at least two of the coaches and they always show me what I did well and where I need to improve. During the whole process they support the players and that gives us a lot of confidence.

What are your interests outside rugby?
I love golf, my handicap is 12, and I enjoy fishing.

Till when are you contracted by the Bulls?
The end of 2010.



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