- Sbu Nkosi is not thinking about his wobbly Springbok place as he makes a fresh start at the Bulls.
- The 26-year-old winger is only preoccupied with recovering as fast as possible from an ankle injury to get back on the field before he can worry about his Bok place.
- Nkosi doesn't believe leaving a Bok-rich franchise like the Sharks hinders his prospects of challenging for a ticket to next year's World Cup.
Sbu Nkosi insists his spot in the Springboks' pecking order when it comes to the wings is the furthest thing from his mind at this stage.
The 26-year-old flyer completed his high-profile move from the Sharks to the Bulls on Thursday, stating that starting afresh and becoming part of his new franchise's winning culture is his only focus.
Currently recovering from an ankle injury, Nkosi has struggled for consistent form this season and is thought to have slipped in the Bok coaches' estimation, particularly since the likes of Aphlelele Fassi, Seabelo Senatla and Kurt-Lee Arendse have seized their opportunities.
"I can only take it a day at a time. This is where I am and who I am right now," said Nkosi.
"I'm also injured, so to get to a place where I'm thinking about potential selection for the national team I need to be fit and ready to play. That's my priority. That's where my thoughts are currently.
"When I get into the proverbial ring again and start boxing, then I can only start answering the question again where I stand in terms of the Springboks."
Even though he's not working towards an official time frame to get back onto the field, Nkosi is adamant he's putting pressure on himself daily to reach small targets.
"There's pressure every day. If you don't put it on yourself, you won't feel the pressure that's coming from everywhere else," he said.
"So I put pressure on myself to get better as soon as possible so that I can compete for all these positions I want to."
There's a view, albeit an unconvincing one, that Nkosi's switch could hinder his mission to be a top dog again as he now leaves behind "home comforts" as well as a Sharks playing group brimming with national players.
Yet with the Bulls arguably building a potential dynasty that will see their players of Springbok interest increase, that argument sounds flawed.
"I don't believe making it into a World Cup squad is dependent on which team you play for. It's purely based on your performance. Being in a specific place doesn't downplay your chances of becoming part of the international setup," said Nkosi.