Jannes Kirsten is relishing his second coming at the Bulls in the United Rugby Championship (URC), and he is eager to make an impact in the place he calls home.
The 30-year-old came through the youth ranks at the Bulls, before he left in 2019 to join Japan’s Toyota Verblitz, and followed that with a move to top English club Exeter Chiefs.
Though he returned to Pretoria last year in July, he soon picked up a foot injury that prevented him from training for some time.
The 1.97m-tall bruiser, admitted it was frustrating making a delayed return for the Bulls.
Not the ideal start
“It wasn’t the best start for me, coming back (to SA). Pre-season and everything went well, and then I got injured for a few months. It was a while since I played, but it was a big anticipation. It was a great relief, and luckily everything went well – feeling good,” said Kirsten.
“It’s just good to be back home. It’s been coming for a while, and I’m glad to be back finally. It felt familiar, but different, and it’s one of the reasons I came back. I was born in Pretoria and raised here, and Loftus feels like home.”
In fact, Kirsten only made his comeback on April 27 in the Bulls’ 61-24 win over Ospreys at Loftus. Afterwards, he admitted the nerves he felt ahead of his long-awaited return.
“Obviously a bit stressed before the game, as you should as it keeps you sharp. It was a good game to get back. I played 20 minutes and everything felt good. The altitude ... growing up here, it didn’t bother me. But coming back now, I did feel it.
“But it felt good. It’s a difficult time of the season to come back as the guys have been playing well, but I hope to contribute to the team.”
Next up for Kirsten and the Bulls is their URC match against Glasgow on Saturday.