Back to His Best?

Ricky Januarie in action for the Ospreys in the Magners League match.

Reports coming out of Wales suggest Ricky Januarie is returning to fitness and form – which is all good news for the Stormers.

Bok scrumhalf Januarie, who had little game time in 2009 for the national team or Western Province, will return to the Stormers camp at the end of January after, by all accounts, a successful spell at the Ospreys in Wales.

“There have been fantastic reports from the Ospreys about Ricky’s contribution on and off the field,” said Stormers head coach Allister Coetzee.

“By the time he rejoins us there certainly won’t be a lack of match fitness. He has a major role to play – as big as any of our other Boks.”

Januarie, who in the past has not been viewed as one of the most responsible players in SA rugby, has been praised by Ospreys Director of Rugby Scott Johnson for being “professional” and displaying great “leadership qualities”.

According to Johnson, although Januarie doesn’t “talk a lot, he makes valuable contributions.”

The scrumhalf position at the Stormers is one that will be highly contested between Januarie, WP incumbent Dewald Duvenage and veteran Bok Bolla Conradie (although Bolla’s announcement as Boland Kavaliers’ skipper means he is probably considered third choice).

But a back to his best Ricky Januarie surely must be first prize for Coetzee and his coaching staff.