'It hurts': Bulls flyer reveals the actual impact of a 4G pitch
SPOTLIGHT: Bulls wing Stravino Jacobs has opened up about his injury struggles and his potential 4G pitch ‘debut’ in Saturday’s Challenge Cup quarterfinal against Edinburgh.
Jacobs burst onto the scene in 2020 when he made his Currie Cup, Rainbow Cup, and Super Rugby unlocked debuts, respectively.
The wing looked set to be the next big star coming out of Pretoria, but untimely injuries and the rise of Springbok stars Kurt-Lee Arendse and Canan Moodie saw him slip back in the pecking order.
Jacobs, however, had a decent outing in the Bulls’ Challenge Cup Round of 16 clash against Bayonne this past weekend and is up for selection in this weekend’s quarterfinal.
The 25-year-old spoke about his injury struggles, current form and where he feels his game is at the moment.
“I injured my syndesmosis [high ankle sprain] in the [2024] Currie Cup semifinal.
“I was out for about eight weeks. When I returned, I still struggled with my weight and conditioning.
“That is all under control now, and I feel like the old Stravino when I made my Currie Cup debut in 2020.”
The Bulls will face the challenge of playing on a 4G pitch at Edinburgh Stadium, which many South African sides have struggled with historically.
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Jacobs explained his ‘experience’ of the artificial surface and what challenges it might have for him and his team.
“I haven’t played on a 4G pitch before. This weekend will be my first time.
“But over the years, when we trained on those pitches, I’ve found it to be a bit fast.
“It also hurts a bit, especially for me with my ankle issue, and I get a lot of shin splints.
“We’ll see how it goes this weekend.”
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