Cape Town – Sbu Nkosi has been thrust straight back into the spotlight in his return to rugby after being named in the Bulls starting line-up for Saturday’s United Rugby Championship clash against the Stormers at Loftus Versfeld (5.05pm kickoff).
The Springbok speedster has had a few months away from the game after going missing for a few weeks and then being found at his family home in Mpumalanga late last year.
He was back at Bulls training recently, and has impressed the coaches so much that Jake White had no hesitation in including him at left wing against the Stormers.
“I’m feeling myself again, my spirit is revived,” Nkosi said in an interview with the Bulls website last week.
“I almost felt like a shadow of the man that I was supposed to be. And I needed to take a step back to fix that before it became a problem.
“There’s no specific moment I can point to where it all began, but I do think there are significant triggers along the journey… this absolutely vile energy building up.
“It all started back when I was at the Sharks, in the last few months of my stint there.
“And then I came here to this beautiful environment, you know, and it got me up, it got me up… amazing players, good coaches and the people upstairs also here for us. It lifted me. And at some point everything, just started becoming heavy again.”
With Springboks Kurt-Lee Arendse and Canan Moodie rested as part of national team protocols, Nkosi will be joined in the Bulls back-three by David Kriel at fullback and Cornal Hendricks at right wing.
Johan Goosen, who started at fullback in their last game against the Scarlets, has sustained a shoulder injury that required surgery, and he has been ruled out for up to six weeks.
There is another significant change at outside centre, where fleet-footed Wandisile Simelane gets a welcome opportunity in the No 13 jersey in place of Lionel Mapoe.
There is also a big-name comeback in the pack, where lock Jacques du Plessis has recovered from a broken hand and takes over from Ruan Vermaak at No 4.
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Du Plessis is an imposing character, and his size will help the Bulls to bring some much-needed physicality against a well-oiled Stormers pack, especially when it comes to maul defence upfront.
Veteran flyhalf Morné Steyn is on the bench, and will make his 150th appearance across the URC and Super Rugby for the Bulls if he gets onto the field at what is expected to be a packed Loftus Versfeld, with a 40 000-strong crowd.
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Bulls team: 15 David Kriel 14 Cornal Hendricks 13 Wandisile Simelane 12 Harold Vorster 11 Sbu Nkosi 10 Chris Smith 9 Zak Burger 8 Elrigh Louw 7 Cyle Brink 6 Marco van Staden 5 Ruan Nortje (captain) 4 Jacques du Plessis 3 Mornay Smith 2 Johan Grobbelaar 1 Gerhard Steenekamp.
Replacements: 16 Jan-Hendrik Wessels 17 Simphiwe Matanzima 18 Francois Klopper 19 Ruan Vermaak 20 Nizaam Carr 21 Embrose Papier 22 Morné Steyn 23 Lionel Mapoe.
IOL Sport