Curwin Bosch relishing Bulls return and All Blacks test after France spell

Curwin Bosch says his two seasons with Brive have restored the freedom he felt was missing from his game and is now ready to test himself against the All Blacks when he starts at fly-half for the Bulls on Saturday.

The 29-year-old spent the majority of his professional career with the Sharks before moving to France, a decision he believes came at the right point in his development.

“It’s amazing to be back in South Africa,” said Bosch.

“The two seasons I spent in France were really good for me, but there’s just no place like home. Even Pretoria, which is somewhere I’d never lived before, just feels different. It feels like home.”

Bosch said the move to Brive gave him an important mental reset and allowed him to concentrate solely on rugby.

“The biggest part of it was the mental break,” he said. “It was so good for me mentally to spend a bit of time in France and just get the shackles off and get back to doing what I do best, and that’s play rugby.

“There were no sideshows and no distractions. I could just focus on playing good rugby.”

The fly-half believes that period away from South Africa helped him rediscover the instinctive approach that initially established him as one of the country’s most promising young players.

“I just felt a lot more free,” he said. “The last couple of seasons I spent in South Africa, I felt boxed a little bit.

“That time in France freed me up. It took me back to how you play rugby at school. You see the space and you play the space. That’s when I’m at my best.”

Bosch has now joined the Bulls and wants to combine that renewed freedom with the greater experience he has gained during his time overseas.

“I’m older and more experienced now,” he said. “I’m looking forward to testing myself again against the best teams in the world.

“I just want to be the best version of myself on the rugby field. The freedom and the knowledge I’ve gained over the last two years can only be beneficial to the Bulls.”

The prospect of facing the All Blacks has given the match added significance for Bosch, who has never previously played against New Zealand.

“It’s an amazing opportunity,” Bosch said. “The last time the Bulls played them was before I was born.

“It’s probably a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to test yourself against the second-best team in the world.”

Bosch will start at fly-half for the Bulls on Saturday, with the match scheduled to begin at 19:00.