Jake White happy after lock Sintu Manjezi joins the Bulls

The tug-of-war for lock Sintu Manjezi between the Cheetahs and the Bulls has come to an amicable conclusion as the 25-year-old will be part of the Pretoria franchise from July 1.

This brings an end to an unexpected saga where the 25-year-old’s contractual status with the Bloemfontein franchise over an extension of his contract was a bone of contention.

Earlier this month‚ City Press had reported that the Bulls were going to intervene with regards to his contract with the Cheetahs.

In the end‚ the Bulls and the Cheetahs have reached an agreement and the St Andrews College old boy‚ who has been playing elite rugby since 2015 when he featured for the Southern Kings‚ will be making the 467km trip from Mangaung to Tshwane.

The Bulls do not have that many viable options at lock with Juandre Kruger‚ Andries Ferreira and to an extent Ian Groenewald have not covered themselves with glory during their stuttering Super Rugby campaign‚ while Ruan Nortje has shown glimpses of talent.

Manjezi was a constant feature for the Cheetahs in the Pro14‚ but made his biggest leap in last year’s Currie Cup success for the Cheetahs where he featured in all eight games‚ including the final where they beat the Golden Lions.

The Bulls have fought for and gained themselves an adaptable lock in Manjezi‚ something that’s interested their director of rugby Jake White.

“Sintu is a talented player for the future and is a powerhouse that packs all the skills that make a good lock.

"He can slot in at lock or as a loose-forward. I firmly believe that he has what it takes to play at the highest level‚” White said.