While his team held on for an important victory against the Pumas on Friday night, Jake White was clearly saddened by the serious injury sustained by fullback Gio Aplon during the match.
Aplon, who has just returned from a long layoff following an ACL injury, injured the same knee again during the clash.
White had nothing but praise for Aplon's efforts to return to the Bulls team following his first injury but said the chances of the fullback returning from this setback didn't look good.
"I got to say I feel for him, it doesn’t look good. He just wanted to get back on the field so badly. He worked hard, showed dedication, he lived here and spent every day he could in the gym with the rehab staff. He really wanted to be part of the team again," said White.
"At his age, if he’s out for another couple of months the chances of him coming back again are slim. I don’t want to be the prophet of doom, but I’ve been around the changing room enough to know that sometimes it ends like that. “You want to walk away holding a trophy above your head but sometimes you can’t write your script the way you want to," added White.
The Bulls mentor only had praise for Aplon, a player he felt could have played many more times for the Springboks.
"I want to stress that he was always helping me out as a senior player. Our backline with David Kriel, Stravino Jacobs, Zak Burger, Keegan Johannes, Duffy Kellerman, Jay-Cee Nel and Marnus Potgieter was very young and I realised that I needed an older, wiser guy to come in. Gio knew the risks, but he wanted to be part of it," said White.
"I don’t need to tell you this but he’s a fantastic human being, fantastic rugby player. He could have played 100 tests for South Africa.
"If it is over he wouldn’t have wanted it to end like that, but at least in his heart he knows he’s won enough trophies in his life and he’s been successful at the Bulls in the short time he’s been here," White added.
The Bulls next face the Cheetahs in the Currie Cup on Wednesday and followed by the small matter of a clash against the British and Irish Lions.