Marcell Coetzee put ‘pride in pocket’ to cheer on Springboks

Missing out on a Rugby World Cup winners’ medal due to a cruelly timed minor injury had to be the most painful experience of Marcell Coetzee’s career, but he says he had to “put my pride in my pocket” for the sake of the Rainbow nation.

Having fought so hard to attract the attention of South Africa head coach Rassie Erasmus, Ulster’s back-row forward was back in the fold over the summer and in contention to start for the Springboks in the World Cup, until he picked up an ankle injury in a warm-up win over Argentina in Pretoria.