Cameron Hanekom’s comeback adds bite and belief to a Bulls side pushing back into Vodacom URC contention.
Writing for the Keohane says the young No 8’s return from a nine-month hamstring lay-off was more than symbolic, with Hanekom immediately showing the aggression, breakdown menace and presence that marked him as a rising Springbok.
He played the final 24 minutes in the Bulls’ 40-7 win over Cardiff and looked as if he had never been away. There were big hits, a trademark jackal and the same energy that defined his breakout 2024 season before injury halted his progress.
It did not take him long to settle and confirm his presence,” Keohane writes.
The Bulls needed the lift. After a seven-match losing run across competitions, they steadied with a four-game winning streak before slipping against the Stormers. Victory over Cardiff was non-negotiable in the race for the top eight.
The response was emphatic. After conceding early, the Bulls ran in 33 unanswered points before half-time and kept Cardiff scoreless for the final 76 minutes.
Embrose Papier and Kurt-Lee Arendse provided attacking spark, while Handré Pollard’s control and kicking range reinforced the structure. But it was the collective defensive effort that signalled growth.
“These Bulls kept Cardiff scoreless for the last 76 minutes,” Keohane notes.
The 30-year-old loose forward, who represented the Junior Boks in 2015, played senior rugby for the Bulls from 2015 to 2019 before joining Leicester.
Having made almost 150 appearances for English Premiership club, Liebenberg is set to return to Pretoria as part of a growing trend of South African players heading home after stints overseas.
I can’t put my finger on exactly why so many South Africans return,” he told reporters “I think as you get older, it’s always nice to come back home, play for your home union and be among your people and family.
I’m looking forward to raising my children in South Africa and having that support system around us.
“It will also be nice to play for a South African team against overseas sides in the URC and Champions Cup for a change.
