Ulster back row Juarno Augustus says he is enjoying his rugby again after recovering from ankle surgery, as he prepares for a homecoming against his former club the Stormers in South Africa.
Juarno Augustus (Credits: BBC Sport)
The 28-year-old, who played for the Cape Town-based Stormers between 2017 and 2021, is relishing the prospect of facing the team he grew up playing for, while also spending precious time with his family.
“It’s nice just to be at home. I’ll probably need a lot of tickets, everyone’s been asking me!” said the former Northampton Saints forward. “It’s always nice to play against the team you grew up playing for. I’ll just try to play my game to the best of my ability.”
Juarno Augustus enjoying rugby again after ankle surgery
Augustus underwent surgery in the summer and admitted he struggled in pre-season to put it behind him. But after a run of games, he says that is all gone now, and staying fit and training consistently is the main thing.
Ulster remain without a victory in their United Rugby Championship campaign, their 34-26 defeat by the Bulls in Pretoria extending their winless run to four games. Augustus, however, believes only small things need to change. “I don’t think huge things need to change. It’s just a bounce of the ball, just small things that we need to work on and get right,” he said.
Ulster vs Stormers: Augustus targets first URC win
Ulster and the Stormers played out a pulsating 38-38 draw in Belfast last season, but Augustus is hoping Richie Murphy’s side can go one better on Saturday (12:45 GMT) against a Stormers outfit who have won three and lost one of their four URC matches.
“It’s at their home this time so we need to be sharper, need to be ready for what they’re going to bring. From minute one to minute 80, we need to give it our best,” he said. “They have a lot of dangerous players who can make anything happen in a second. We need to be aware of it.”
With the coaching staff’s detail on how the Stormers play in hand, Augustus says it is now up to the players to execute: “We just need to be on our game every single moment.”
Also Read: Ulster Winless After Four URC Games But Richie Murphy Says Turnaround Is Close | Gregor Townsend: Scotland Never Believed They Could Beat All Blacks as Players — But as Coach, That Has Changed
Source: BBC Sport — read the full story there.
