Luan Giliomee says the Springbok contingent at Loftus made his transition from the Sharks considerably smoother than it might have been, with the 20-year-old scrumhalf arriving in Pretoria just days ago and already eyeing a debut in the Champions Cup this weekend.
Giliomee, who was set to join the Bulls before the season began but was required to complete his Sharks contract first, trained alongside the Springbok players on his first day at the venue while the rest of the squad was still on tour.
"I had the privilege of training with them; I had a couple of walk-throughs with them and did my medicals with them. They showed me around and accepted me with open arms," he said.
His departure from the Sharks came on the back of back-to-back standout performances — man of the match against the Ospreys and another strong showing against Leinster — which Giliomee says were driven by a desire to bow out with purpose rather than wind down.
"My mindset was kind of like 'I have an opportunity this weekend'. No matter the fact that I'm going to the Bulls, I still get the chance to perform."
Joining mid-season brings the expected adjustment period, and Giliomee acknowledges the primary challenge is assimilating the Bulls' calls and systems quickly enough to contribute.
"I'm still trying to do my best to understand their calls and to be part of the Bulls' system. I'm just trying to make the rest of the guys comfortable playing with me."
Giliomee is in line to make his Bulls debut against Stade Français in Saturday's opening round of the Champions Cup, and is focused on using the quality around him to accelerate his development across all facets of his game.