Following the Vodacom Bulls’ confirmation that they have re-signed Duane Vermeulen, reports are now linking the side with moves for Jesse Kriel and Marcell Coetzee.

The Bulls confirmed on the weekend that they had successfully convinced Vermeulen to return to Pretoria in June, after the No 8 left the franchise for Japan last year.

Following that announcement, the Bulls are looking to further boost their ranks by bringing Kriel back to Loftus Versfeld, while also starting negotiations with Ulster flank Coetzee.

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Bulls chief executive Alfons Meyer confirmed to Netwerk24 that they are looking to get the Springbok duo back into the country.

Kriel’s return to Pretoria, where he played since the start of his professional career in 2013, will depend on the structure of the Japanese Top League season, which has been affected by the deadly coronavirus.

Meanwhile, the Bulls will be in conversation with Coetzee’s agent to establish whether the loose forward is interested in a move to Pretoria.

The 28-year-old has starred for Ulster since overcoming the knee injuries that plagued the early parts of his career and is one of the nominees for the European Player of the Year award for 2019.

Coetzee earned himself a recall to the Springbok squad last year, but suffered an injury in a warm-up against Argentina which prevented his involvement in the 2019 World Cup squad.

It may be difficult to prise him from Ulster, as he signed a three-year contract extension with the PRO14 side as early as last year, keeping him in Belfast until 2022.

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