How a Swedish ‘miracle-maker’ used his magic on Jamba Ulengo

One of the highlights of Saturday’s Super Rugby derby between the Bulls and the Lions at Ellis Park is likely to be the clash between the returning Jamba Ulengo and the various Springbok wings who are in the frame for selection by the home side.

The 28-year-old Ulengo has been through the harrowing experience of thinking his career might be over as the knee injury he suffered in the Currie Cup last year refused to respond to the treatment he was undergoing.

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That was until the magic of the world-renowned Swedish specialist Professor Hakan Alfredson had him on the mend as he spotted a vein under his Patella that was holding up the whole healing process.

Now Ulengo, who played a Test against the Welsh on the 2016 end-of-year tour, has the ideal opportunity to remind everyone of his qualities as he takes on the likes of Lions stars Aphiwe Dyantyi, Ruan Combrinck and Courtnall Skosan.

“I’m a Springbok myself so they can’t just put me down. The more I play, the more confident I will get and I could feel it already against the Sunwolves. I just want to contribute more to the team and get my confidence back. There’s still a long season ahead, so wherever I end up, I just want to play the best I can,” Ulengo said.

“It was a frustrating and challenging period, but my faith in God, and my family, coaches and backroom staff pulled me through. Mentally and emotionally, it was hard because you think your goals are probably not going to happen. Then you’re a bit rusty when you come back and it feels like a decade since I was playing Super Rugby!

With the Lions bound to attack out wide at some stages of Saturday’s match, there will be plenty of focus on the Bulls defence, which has failed to inspire confidence this season. Ulengo said it was simply down to the inability of individuals to make their tackles.

“As long as you communicate with whoever’s on your inside, then the system will work. But you have to make your one-on-one tackles. I don’t think that’s something that the coach can fix, that’s an individual thing, you either make your tackle or not. You have to really want to make the tackle.

“This campaign has not been so great for us, but it’s good to be back and we are still enjoying ourselves. Hopefully we are building to a great future and hopefully we can be a force to be reckoned with in the next two or three seasons,” Ulengo said.

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