SPRINGBOK Francois Hougaard admitted his potential Premiership comeback against Saracens is the most excited he has been to play rugby in ‘a long time’.
The influential scrum-half, who made his first appearance for the club since April last year against Cardiff Blues on Saturday following a long-term injury, insisted he had no pressure or nerves ahead of the clash with the reigning Premiership and European champions at Sixways on Saturday.
But the South Africa Sevens Olympic bronze medallist doesn’t want to ‘let down’ any of the Worcester supporters.
“It had been a while since I’d played. I had a rotator cuff tear and a bicep tendon eruption and partial tear. It was probably the most painful operation I’ve ever had,” said the 28-year-old.
“I played three games for South Africa with the undiagnosed injuries. We just thought it was a shoulder spasm, but it was painful to play with and after scans in Worcester we found out what the problem was.
“But my rehabilitation went really well and my injuries are in the past now, so I’m excited to move on with Warriors. It’s never nice sitting on the sidelines, especially when your team loses, but I’ve only had three months out so I’m just happy to be back.
“I haven’t been this excited to play rugby in a long time, so I’m really looking forward to getting back out there in the Premiership against Saracens. I hope I don’t let any of the fans who have supported me down.
“It’ll be my first time playing on our artificial pitch this Saturday. It obviously suits my style of play as it creates a fast game. I don’t feel any pressure or nerves going into the match, but Saracens are a quality side and we know we have to perform if we are to return to winning ways,” he added.
Hougaard also insisted the leadership of new Director of Rugby Gary Gold was exactly what the club needs ahead of their last nine Premiership games.
“I’ve worked with Gary and he’s a great guy and a really good coach. He’s exactly what we need as he’s very straightforward and players will get their rewards if they buy into his way of playing. We’ll be working on our killer instinct to finish games off.”