It was just the type of good news Wairarapa-Bush needed to boost their confidence leading into their Heartland rugby championship Meads Cup semifinal match with North Otago at Oamaru on Saturday.
Gun flanker James Goodger has been given the green light to return to the action after being sidelined since the game with West Coast at Memorial Park on August 31.
In a sickening clash of heads with opposition No 8 Rowan O'Gorman as the two of them competed for ball after a kickoff, Goodger was left with, among other less serious facial injuries, a broken cheekbone which seemed likely to rule him out of all rugby for the remainder of the 2014 season. However, his recovery has been quicker than expected and he has been given the required medical clearance to resume this weekend.
Aiding Goodger's chances of being included in the starting line-up for the Oamaru match is that while he has kept away from physical contact since his injury he has continued to train and therefore his fitness levels have not been adversely affected.
Head coach Mark Rutene and his assistant Paddy Gough had not confirmed their side at the time these notes were penned but Rutene made no secret of his delight at having a player of Goodger's calibre to call on. "It's great to have him back in the mix, he was clearly one of our outstanding players before the injury and it does give us extra options."