Goosen return cheers up Jake before niggly Zebre clash: 'I can't wait to see how he does'

Bulls director of rugby Jake White said returning Johan Goosen could be the much-needed tonic to ease his team's blues in what has been a testing season.

Goosen will start at 10 in Saturday's crucial United Rugby Championship game against Zebre at Ellis Park, with the pivot returning from shoulder injury.

A fit Goosen was instrumental to the Bulls' more than satisfactory start to the season before going under the knife in February.

The Bulls haven't won a URC game in his absence and have also been dumped out of the Heineken Champions Cup in the round of 16.

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White said the addition of Goosen strengthens his charges significantly, especially with a plethora of young Springboks in the backline like Canan Moodie, Kurt-Lee Arendse and Embrose Papier.

"I signed him on a long-term contract and he's with us until 2026, and part of the brief of me signing was that he was Top 14 player of the tournament twice in France," White said of Goosen, who made 13 appearances for the Springboks between 2012 and 2016.

"He's come back from another injury and had a shoulder operation. He's had some time under his belt and I need to get him back to a level that I know he can get to.

Bulls

15 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 14 Canan Moodie, 13 Stedman Gans, 12 Harold Vorster, 11 David Kriel, 10 Johan Goosen, 9 Embrose Papier, 8 Elrigh Louw, 7 Cyle Brink, 6 Marco van Staden, 5 Ruan Nortje (captain), 4 Ruan Vermaak, 3 Mornay Smith, 2 Johan Grobbelaar, 1 Mornay Smith

Substitutes: 16 Bismarck du Plessis, 17 Dylan Smith, 18 Francois Klopper, 19 Janko Swanepoel, 20 WJ Steenkamp, 21 Keagan Johannes, 22 Chris Smith, 23 Cornal Hendricks

Zebre

15 Richard Kriel, 14Kobus van Wyk, 13