Rocket Man getting back to full throttle

Some much-needed game time has got Vodacom Bulls flyer Stravino Jacobs back in form and hungry to score tries.

Nicknamed ‘Rocket Man’, Jacobs was sidelined for eight weeks after a high ankle sprain in the 2024 Currie Cup semi-final against the Sharks at Loftus last September, and had to wait until March – and an injury to Canan Moodie – to finally get back on the field.

Jacobs wore the No 11 jersey in the Bulls’ wins against Leinster and Zebre in the Vodacom URC and again in last week’s 32-22 victory in the Challenge Cup round-of-16 playoff at Bayonne.

Those 240 minutes have helped the former Paarl Gimnasium finisher find the kind of form he displayed upon arriving in Pretoria.

“When I returned [from injury], I struggled a bit with my weight and conditioning,” he admitted. “But I’ve put all that behind me and I feel like the old Stravino when I made my Currie Cup debut in 2020.”

Jacobs relishes the physical aspect of the game, but says he tries to “mix it up” to keep the defence guessing.

“I like taking contact and running over guys, but I also like to step every now and then.”

Stravino Jacobs with that step 😮‍💨🏃‍♂️

The Vodacom Bulls get their third try of the match 🏉🔵

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The 25-year-old is expected to get another opportunity to impress on Saturday when the Bulls take on Edinburgh, with Hive Stadium’s artificial field providing him with a new challenge.

“I’ve never played on one, this weekend will be my first time,” he said. “When I’ve trained on one over the past couple of years, it’s been a bit fast and makes you a bit sore, particularly for me with my ankles and I get a lot of shin splints. But I’ll see how I feel on the pitch this weekend.”

ALSO: Goosen plays through the pain

The Bulls scored some cracking tries against Zebre and Bayonne, and Jacobs hopes there are more to come in Scotland.

“We’ve got a lot of flair in our backline, especially with Devon [Williams] at fullback and Goose [flyhalf Johan Goosen] coming off the bench as an impact player. I think everyone’s on the same page and we understand each other. If we can get forward momentum, we can score some tries.”

ALSO: Bulls adopt ‘smart’ approach to KO Edinburgh

Photo: Johan Orton/Gallo Images